Paul Weich

UPDATE: Sinema, McSally Both Vote “Aye” To Help Pass Mideast Bill Package

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Arizona’s Senators both voted to help pass the Senate’s Mideast Bill Package this afternoon.  S.1 passed by a 77-23 vote as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) first legislative priority for this session – began while avoiding a vote on the then-shutdown; its future in the Democratic-controlled House is uncertain. While all of the Republican Senators but one … Read more

UPDATE: APS Makes Year End $50,000 Contribution To Republican AGs

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Pinnacle West is no longer limiting its political contributions to obvious campaigns. A new filing reveals a December 31 $50,000 contribution to the association to elect Republican Attorneys General (aka RAGA). During the last campaign cycle, APS’s parent company donated $150,000 to RAGA, which turned around and spent heavily to help re-elect Arizona AG Mark Brnovich. … Read more

Martha McSally

OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN, PART ___: McSally Campaign Accepts Excessive Contributions and Repeats Other Issues

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Arizona Senator Martha McSally may have “built the best compliance team in the country”, but that team continues to struggle properly dealing with the volume of contributions that she received during (and after) her unsuccessful campaign to defeat Kyrsten Sinema for the retired Senator Jeff Flake’s seat.

The day that FEC employees got back from the lengthy government shutdown, they sent out two notices (“RFAIs”) to the campaign. One suggested that the committee was still having problems getting the required occupation and employer information from contributors. Arizona’s Politics reported on that issue in October. The other, more eye-popping notice detailed more than $270,000 in contributions that exceeded the limits that individuals are permitted to donate.

Last week – before the notices were sent out – the McSally committee had filed an amended report correcting – re-attributing, re-designating or refunding – some of the monies. The Year-End report filed last night includes more corrections.

However, that still leaves LOTS of contributions to clear up. Fortunately, she has

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UPDATE: Shutdown Impacted Ongoing NTSB Investigation Into Last Year’s Self-Driving Uber Fatality, 2 Arizona Fatal Air Accidents

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Last year’s Grand Canyon helicopter accident – killing 3 – the self-driving Uber vehicle that killed a pedestrian, and a fatal air accident near Kingman two weeks ago. Investigations into all were delayed or damaged by the now-ending government shutdown.

(from Tempe Police via New Times)

The federal government shutdown is finally ending, but the impacts are still being discovered. The NTSB’s Dolline Hatchett tells Arizona’s Politics that the ongoing investigations into last year’s news-making accidents were halted when 367 of the National Transportation Safety Board’s 397 employees were furloughed. The aircraft accident near Kingman on January 13, in which one person was killed and one seriously injured, has not yet been investigated.

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Politico Updates Rural Arizona Transit Woes Due To Government Shutdown – “We’re Out of Business”

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Politico has updated an earlier Arizona Republic story about effects of an ongoing federal government shutdown threatening rural Arizona transit service. In fact, Yavapai Regional Transit could be “out of business.” The shutdown is now into its second month, and today’s votes in the Senate mean that there is no solution currently in sight. Yavapai Regional Transit Board Chairman Ron … Read more