Family Forum / Parenting / Spanking / April 2007

http://www.azcentral.com/news/columns/articles/0418roberts0418.html

Officials work hard to stymie lobbyist for parents rights

Laurie Roberts
Republic columnist
Apr. 18, 2007 12:00 AM
To see her, she doesn't seem like much of a threat. Maybe it's because
when she's walking the hallways of the Legislature, she's usually got a
pair of preschoolers in tow.

Yet evidently Robin Scoins poses a problem for the state. So much so
that no less than the Secretary of State's Office and the Attorney
General's Office have been investigating her activities. This, at the
request of a key legislative committee chairman.

It seems Scoins has been lobbying the Legislature on behalf of parents
who have tangled with Child Protective Services. Her crime? She hasn't
filed the requisite raft of forms identifying who she is, what her group
is about and how much money she spends wining and dining all the local pols.

Scoins got interested in CPS in 2003 after the agency took her kids,
claiming she was a drug addict. It took her nine months to get them out
of foster care, placements she says were prompted by a "false positive"
on a drug test.

Soon after, Scoins began helping other parents who felt unfairly
targeted by CPS and formed the Arizona Family Rights Advocacy Institute
to urge stronger parents' rights.

Her advocacy often took her to the House Human Services Committee,
chaired by Rep. Pete Hershberger. He and Scoins usually are on opposite
sides on CPS issues. She's a parent who believes CPS has big problems
and too much power. He works for a social service agency that has
$800,000 worth of annual contracts with CPS and its parent agency.

In February, Hershberger sent a complaint to the secretary of state,
pointing out that Scoins and her organization haven't complied with the
state's lobbying laws.

"I was curious so I went up to the Secretary of State's Office looking
for information," he said, when asked how he knew she was in violation.

"If she's acting in the role of a lobbyist she needs to follow the rules
and the law just like everybody else."

Hershberger sent a copy of his complaint to the Attorney General's
Office, which this month notified Scoins that she's breaking the law and
gave her until Friday to register.

Under the law, anyone who lobbies on behalf of anyone else, paid or not,
must register with the state and file quarterly financial reports. The
group on whose behalf you're lobbying also must also register and file
annual financial reports. Failure to do so could result in a $1,000 fine
and a misdemeanor conviction.

"It's all in the spirit of full disclosure," explained Kevin Tyne,
deputy secretary of state.

Actually, I'm all for full disclosure. It's good to know whom our
resident army of blue-suited, BlackBerried lobbyists are taking to lunch
and treating to junkets, and what they want in exchange. But in the sea
of lobbyists swimming around the Capitol, Scoins is at best a guppy.

She's a single mom who volunteers her time to help those she believes
have unfairly landed in the crosshairs of CPS. She and her four kids
live on Social Security and any junket she could afford wouldn't get
legislators much further than the vending machines in the basement.

As for her "institute," it's the computer in her bedroom, which she uses
to send out e-mails and updates.

"AZFRAI," she said, "is just me, myself and I."

While the Attorney General's Office has said it won't prosecute if she
files by Friday, Scoins is hesitating. Given her experience with the
state - she's filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over CPS' removal of
her kids - she's not much interested in handing over personal information.

Which probably means she won't be registering. Which likely means she
will no longer be advocating for parents and pointing out CPS'
shortcomings to the Legislature.

Which was maybe the point all along.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8635.
Read her blog at robertsblog.azcentral.com.

CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA/CIA
WIRETAPING PROGRAM....

BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEIR
"FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...