The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AzSTA) does not oversee golf projects, but two of Governor Napolitano’s nominees to its board were given a “mulligan” by the Senate Finance Committee, which initially rejected them.

After on May 9 turning down Larry Landry, a lobbyist, and Velma Pastor, wife of Congressman Ed Pastor, a Democrat from Arizona’s 4th District, the committee forwarded their names the next day to the full Senate for confirmation, along with Jonathan Garrett, who serves on AzSTA’s Finance Committee. His nomination was not voted on in the first meeting.

Finance Chairman Dean Martin, R-6, said he was surprised by the initial rejections and called for a second vote the following day, which he described as a “legislative mulligan.” (A golf stroke that is not counted.)

The nominees did not testify at the first meeting, and Mr. Landry and Ms. Pastor were rejected 2-3 and 3-3, respectively.

“He had a chance to come out and tell us what his qualifications for the board are and he didn’t say anything,” said Sen. Jack Harper, R-4. “It had the appearance of a political appointment.”

Sens. Ron Gould, R-3, and Karen Johnson, R-18, also voted against Mr. Landry and Ms. Pastor, a retired teacher. Sen. Ken Cheuvront, D-15, did not vote either day, but told Arizona Capitol Times he would have voted against Mr. Landry because he, Mr. Cheuvront, is against lobbyists serving on state boards and commissions.

On May 10, eight of nine committee members were present, and the three nominees were approved after each testified. The votes were 7-1 for Mr. Landry and Mr. Garrett and 5-3 for Ms. Pastor.

“I just didn’t feel she has the qualifications to serve on that board,” said Ms. Johnson, who was joined against Ms. Pastor by Mr. Gould and Mr. Harper.

Ms. Johnson and Mr. Harper changed their votes to yes on Mr. Landry, but not before he was questioned about his roles as a lobbyist and a board member.

“Do you see any way that you would have a conflict of interest between many of the clients you lobby for and spending the TSA dollars≠” Mr. Harper asked.

“I’m a very strict constructionist on conflict,” Mr. Landry replied. “If it appears to be a conflict, I would recuse myself.

Mr. Gould voted no on all the nominees, expressing resentment for having to vote twice.

“I told leadership I wasn’t voting for any governor appointees until we got a budget signed,” he said. “That’s what I did yesterday, and I get drug in here today as if I’d made some kind of mistake, and I resent that.”

The AzSTA oversees design and construction of the new Arizona Cardinals football stadium in Glendale and will own and operate the facility. It is also responsible for distributing public funds generated by an increase in the tax on hotel beds and rental cars to youth and amateur sports, tourism promotion and Cactus League baseball. The AzSTA, a municipal corporation, is overseen by a nine-member volunteer board of directors, appointed by the governor, Senate president and the speaker of the House.

Group Weighs In On Budget

Meanwhile, the authority and the Fiesta Bowl want Ms. Napolitano to line-item veto a cut in its funding as proposed in the new budget package. The cut, sponsored by Rep. Russell Pearce, R-18, would wipe out minimum proceeds the AZSTA receives from income taxes on the Cardinals football organization, and the authority says the cut would threaten an upcoming bond sale.

As of press time May 12, the budget had not been sent to Ms. Napolitano, who said of Mr. Pearce’s measure, “I haven’t taken a position on it and I won’t until the [budget] bill actually gets to my desk.” —