Newsletter

Newsletter

Weather

Maricopa Weather

Tempe senator flip-flops support for pro-Maricopa bill

Sen. Lauren Kuby speaks at an event in Tempe, Ariz. in this 2016 photo. [Gage Skidmore]

After voting against Senate Bill 1617, it looks like State Sen. Lauren Kuby (D-Tempe) is changing her mind — again.

The Tempe senator and member of Arizona’s Senate Appropriations Committee was the lone no vote Tuesday on the bill that would fast-track funding for the Riggs Road overpass on State Route 347.

That vote came as a surprise to 347facts.com creator James Singleton.

“What’s funny about the single no vote is that she emailed me Friday saying she supported SB 1617,” he said on social media.

Kuby did not respond to a request for comment on her vote.

In an email to Singleton days earlier, Kuby said she supported the bill because “roadway and public safety are issues I care deeply about.”

However, when voting time came around, Kuby said she was concerned that if the overpass funding were to “leapfrog ahead,” the Arizona Department of Transportation could push back other infrastructure projects already lined up in its five-year plan.

Well, she changed her mind again.

Citing conversations with Sen. Vince Leach (R-Saddlebrooke) and Maricopa Intergovernmental Affairs Director Katy Proctor, Kuby said she originally did not have “the whole story.” She forwarded the email to Singleton.

“I should not have taken at face value the critique I heard recently that the project was not in the 5-Year Plan,” she wrote in an email to Proctor. “Your explanation was what I needed to hear to feel comfortable moving forward with the project and voting yes on the floor.

And while Kuby changed her tune, Singleton said he found it “a little odd” she did a 180.

“It just shows that she did not do any research on SB 1617 before voting on it and relied on others to tell her apparently two different items,” Singleton told InMaricopa.

Despite that, he said he doesn’t have concerns for future votes.

“With the amount of emails being sent by residents on our website I am hoping that Senators understand the need for SB 1617,” he said.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Most Popular

UPDATE: Missing 10-year-old boy found

Heading to Phoenix Sunday? Expect delays

POLL

Sunset

Flock cameras are back in the news and all over Maricopa's social media pages. What's your take on the city's growing camera system?


Sign in

Welcome back!