Photo from Office of Governor Katie Hobbs
By Howard Fischer | Arizona Capitol Times
Key Points:
- Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoes financial disclosure measure
- Measure would have required companies to disclose donations to governor and her allies
- Hobbs’ veto leaves gaps in laws on contractor donations and transparency
Calling it a “political stunt,” Gov. Katie Hobbs has quashed a financial disclosure measure that was inspired by a state contract controversy within her Department of Child Safety.
The measure crafted by Sen. T.J. Shope would have required any company bidding on state contracts to immediately disclose any donations made to the governor, any campaign committees or inaugural funds, and any entity that “advocates for the election of the governor or for the defeat of an electoral opponent of the governor.” That requirement would extend to a company’s officers, directors and their family members, covering donations made in the prior five years..
The Coolidge Republican first introduced the measure last year after a public disclosure statement proved that Sunshine Residential, which provides group homes to children in the state’s foster care system, had donated $400,000 to Hobbs and the Arizona Democratic Party. It was later awarded a more than 60% increase for the same services — a rate that ultimately climbed from $140 to $234 per bed.
That led to ongoing investigations of what Shope has called a “pay-to-play” scheme by both Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
