BY REAGAN PRIEST | STATE AFFAIRS
A Senate committee advanced a bill to prohibit influence peddling inspired by pay-to-play allegations against Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration, despite the governor’s attempts to add her own provisions to the bill.
The Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency Committee voted along party lines to advance Sen. T.J. Shope’s Senate Bill 1186 (document retention; proposals; donations) amid a kerfuffle between Shope and Hobbs’ office. Hobbs’ office alleges that Shope rejected her ideas for ethics reforms, while Shope says her proposal will not go far enough to address perceived conflicts of interest.
Shope’s bill would require companies bidding on state contracts to disclose any political donations made to the governor or campaign and political action committees supporting the governor. It was inspired by an investigation from the Arizona Republic which found a major donor to Hobbs’ 2022 campaign received rate increases for group home services provided to the Department of Child Safety.
