Capitol roundup: Pay-to-play reform showdown
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Senate Republicans this week passed legislation aimed at providing transparency about state contractors' contributions to governors' campaigns in the wake of an alleged "pay-to-play" scandal involving a donor to Gov. Katie Hobbs.
State of play: The bill would require anyone who has or bids on a state contract to disclose any contributions they've made to the governor, as well as any committees the governor controls or that aided them in their election.
- It's in response to revelations that Department of Child Safety contractor Sunshine Residential Homes, which contributed several hundred thousand dollars to the Arizona Democratic Party during Hobbs' 2022 campaign and to her inaugural fund, received a rate increase from the agency.
The intrigue: Hobbs vetoed a similar bill last year.
- And she unveiled her own ethics reform package last month, parts of which Senate Democrats unsuccessfully tried to add to the Senate bill.
What they're saying: Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge), the bill's sponsor, said Hobbs' proposal doesn't address the central issue in the Sunshine Residential scandal.
- Hobbs spokesperson Liliano Soto wouldn't say whether the governor would sign the bill, but emphasized to Axios that there's still time to amend it in the House.
In other legislative action this week:
🚫 Automatic subscriptions would be easier to cancel and companies would have to inform customers of pending renewals a month in advance under a bill unanimously approved by the Senate.
🎯 Voters could be asked to allow firing squad as a method of execution in Arizona under a proposed ballot referral that received preliminary approval in the Senate.
🚘 Lawmakers rejected an attempt to amend legislation to regulate automated license plate readers so use of the devices would be mostly banned in Arizona. Meanwhile, the underlying bill may not have enough support to pass.
💻 Parents of online "kidfluencers" who create content involving their underage children would have to put some proceeds from that content into trusts for their kids under a bill approved by a Senate committee. The House already passed the bill unanimously.
🏘️ Cities would be barred from requiring new single-family homes to include certain non-safety design requirements like garages, patios, decorative light fixtures, specific colors or window styles under legislation passed by the Senate.