Arizona lawmaker lifts ban on journalists who rebuffed background checks

PHOENIX — A brief ban against allowing certain journalists on the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives has been lifted.

Speaker of the House David Gowan had implemented a rule last week that barred journalists from the floor if they hadn’t submitted to an extensive background search.

Pressure from others lawmakers and the public over the sudden shift in a decades-old policy may have prompted a reversal that was announced Tuesday.

As late as Monday evening, the restrictions were still in place.

Republican House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said Gowan came up with a compromise: Reporters will have to sign in with the chief clerk to get floor access. They will also have to sign out.

Gowan has said the restriction was put in place as a security precaution.

“Lots of things happen to a lot of people, and we want to make sure that our members are secure. I don’t understand the problem with that,” he said last week.

But others said the move was vindictive, that Gowan was unhappy with a news report that he used $12,000 of state money for travel related to a campaign.

Gowan repaid the money and also asked state Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office to investigate for wrongdoing.

The Democratic House leader said the ban “created a diversion from doing the work the people and our constituents sent us here to do.”

“Obviously, we think it should have never been done it the first place — there was never any risk from a reporter,” Minority Leader Eric Meyer said. “This took us away from the task at hand, which is to address the budget, finish up session, fund our schools and invest in our universities.”

The Phoenix News Times reported that the Arizona Department of Public Safety said it had no plans to run the background checks.

Media organizations criticized the move, saying it could hinder the ability to hold lawmakers accountable. Journalists were forced to cover House sessions from the public gallery area and lost access to legislators.

Reporters who routinely cover the House receive credentials and get access to the chamber’s floor through an electronic key card.

Attorney Dan Barr said a lawsuit against Gowan had been a possibility.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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