At least three applicants for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission could be on the chopping block depending on the Attorney General’s definition of “paid lobbyist.”

During the full-day meeting of the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments on September 17, the topic of paid lobbyist came up for a handful of the IRC applicants. Some did not make the cut, but at least three – including two aiming to become the next IRC chair – made it to the next round of the selection process and are awaiting the Attorney General’s decision.

Kathryn Townsend, one of the independent members on the commission asked if “a paid lobbyist is somebody who is paid to lobby, not somebody whose job for which they are paid involves lobbying,” which was a question deferred to a representative from the Solicitor General’s Office.

“I can’t answer that as a blanket statement,” said Kate Sawyer, who was on the phone for the duration of the meeting.

The soon-to-be five-member IRC will decide the boundaries for legislative and Congressional districts for the next 10 years. The IRC will be made up of two Republicans and two Democrats and will be led by an independent. Both political parties hope the independent is someone more inclined toward their respective political philosophy.

Townsend’s question first arose while narrowing the short list for the Democrats who applied. The commission was considering Serena Campas, who is a registered lobbyist for the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, where she is the policy and public relations manager.

“I think we would have to look at the facts to see whether that particular candidate is considered as a registered paid lobbyist under the Constitutional provision here,” Sawyer said.

Chief Justice Robert Brutinel, who is the chair of the commission, opted to have the commission vote on candidates as if they were not registered paid lobbyists and if the Attorney General or Solicitor General deemed they were, then they would be disqualified. Campas did not receive enough votes to make the interview stage.

Campas was one of three applicants the Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation brought to the attention of the commission on the morning of the public meeting, urging disqualification due to being a paid lobbyist. The others were Ken Strobeck, a Republican who made the final list of 20 Republicans, and Thomas Loquvam, an independent who also made it to the next round.

Loquvam is registered as a lobbyist with the Arizona Corporation Commission, but made a note about it in his application. Whether he was or was not a lobbyist did not come up at all during his vote.

The court commission also discussed whether Mignonne Hollis, an independent from Cochise County, is a paid lobbyist.

“I am not a paid professional lobbyist, nor have I ever been a lobbyist for compensation,” Hollis, who is the executive director for the Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation, said in an email.

“‘Lobbyist for compensation’ means a lobbyist who is compensated for the primary purpose of lobbying on behalf of a principal and who is listed by the principal in its registration pursuant to section 41-1232,” she wrote.

Hollis said she could be engaged in any or all of the following activities as part of her day-to-day: “balancing our books, running our innovation center properties, or helping new companies at our unmanned test site in Benson. From time-to-time, I help educate for sound public policy that directly impacts the quality of life for my neighbors in rural Arizona.”

When it came time to discuss Hollis’ application and vote her to the next round, Townsend again wanted clarification on the lobbying issue.

“I think that she deserves consideration, not only because she took the time to apply but also because she took the time to come down here and because she is definitely one of the more diverse candidates that we’ve got on the independent list,” Townsend said, adding that she didn’t feel comfortable allowing her to move onto the next round if she were later to be deemed a lobbyist.

Brutinel said what they can do is add her to the list, if she gets enough votes, and wait for an Attorney General opinion, which he said would be “persuasive, but not conclusive,” because “there is no legal answer to this question.”

“The only way we’re eventually going to get an answer is if you put her on the list and she is in fact chosen, and then if somebody brings a lawsuit and we’d be wrong,” Brutinel said, adding that in that scenario he would recuse himself.

Hollis received 10 out of 14 possible votes. Only four other independents received more votes.

The Commission on Appellate Court Appointments will next interview the 51 finalists on October 8 and 9, with the 11 independent candidates on the first day and the partisan candidates going on the final day of interviews. The final list of 25 will then go to the four Legislative leaders to pick one candidate each and those four will pick the chair.

CANDIDATES
Independent Candidates
Christopher Bavasi, Coconino County
Megan L. Carollo, Maricopa County
Joseph V. Citelli, Maricopa County
Nicole M. Cullen, Maricopa County
Nicholas C. Dranias, Maricopa County
Mignonne D. Hollis, Cochise County
Thomas Loquvam, Maricopa County
Anders L. Lundin, Maricopa County
Erika Schupak Neuberg, Maricopa County
Gregory M. Teesdale, Pima County
Robert S. Wilson, Coconino County

Democrats
Elizabeth Bernstein, Cochise County
Grant Buma, Yavapai County
Ernest Calderon, Maricopa County
Bryan Cooperrider, Coconino County
Martha Durkin, Pima County
Rodolfo Espino, Maricopa County
Donald Evans, Maricopa County
Grant Freeland, Maricopa County
Susan Freeman, Maricopa County
Sheila Harris, Maricopa County
S. Arthur “Art” Hinshaw, II, Maricopa County
Dale Keyes, Pima County
Robert Kovitz, Pima County
Shereen Lerner, Maricopa County
Mark Murphy, Pima County
Mumtaza “Taj” Rahi-Loo, Maricopa County
James Robbins, Maricopa County
Derrick Watchman, Apache County
Maxine White, Maricopa County
Teresa Wyatt, Pima County

Republicans
Trevor Abarzua, Maricopa County
Jonathan Allred, Maricopa County
Margaret Bevan, Coconino County
Scott Crouch, Maricopa County
Lisa Davis, Maricopa County
Paul Djurisic, Maricopa County
Megan Gould Maestas, Maricopa County
Brian Hatheway, Pima County
Kevin Kopp, Maricopa County
David Lane, Maricopa County
David Mehl, Pima County
Brandi Oveson, Apache County
Walter Schoch, Maricopa County
Grant Smith, Gila County
Michael Striplin, Pinal County
Kenneth Strobeck, Maricopa County
William Turner, Mohave County
Donald Wilson, Maricopa County
Edwin Winkler, Maricopa County
Douglas York, Maricopa County