The mystery surrounding HB2583 deepened on Monday, when representatives Doug Coleman, Frank Pratt, Karen Fann, John Allen, Rob Robson, and Eddie Farnsworth bucked their Republican colleagues and voted in opposition to the bill. For some mysterious reason, the bill, which would have required all public bodies to provide, recording of all meetings, had become a partisan issue so few expected any Democrats to support transparency.
Republicans did expect their representatives to support the bill brought forth by Republican Representative David Stevens. Although Fann, Coleman, Farnsworth, Pratt, Robson, and Allen are well-known for their self-serving legislation and putting their own interests ahead of their constituents, few expected them to be so blatant in opposing a simple and low-cost transparency measure.
However, throughout this legislative session the group has been fairly unabashed in protecting their own interests and that of the industries in which some of them work.
Fann has earned a reputation over the years as a legislator who represents mostly her own economic interests and that of her cronies with protectionist legislation. This year, she opposed a bill, HB2219, which would have made membership in the Arizona State Bar an option rather than a requirement. Fann crossed party lines with Coleman to defeat the legislation that would have removed protectionist measures.
Coleman, who is leaving the Legislature this year to run for a spot on the Pinal County Board of Supervisors, prevented a bill from receiving a hearing that would have removed an arcane provision in statute that essentially prevents independent news sources from fully competing with corporate media interests. He did not disclose that his child writes for some of those corporate interests.
Robson was caught stealing campaign signs and as with all of the ethically challenged representatives, he suffered no consequences for his actions.