Other articles by Daniel Scarpinato:

Democrats' misgivings about Brewer seem to be softening Napolitano's chief of staff taking DC job with boss New look for Arizona delegation in US House Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Bee goes job-hunting in Brewer transition Phoenix debuts state's first light-rail systemPolitical Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : DC gala could make for odd seating; Giffords moving her office in capitalPolitical Notebook: Giffords moving to new Washington office Rock 'n' roll theme-park idea facing new scrutiny Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Napolitano's expected hike in pay not as big as it looks Political Notebook: Fed gig means fatter paycheck for Napolitano

Part Time Employment
AVIVA Children's Services
Monitor: Parent-Child Visits General
MEDLEY COMMUNICATIONS
INSTALLATION PROFESSIONAL General
Drexel Height Fire District
Firefighter

PHOENIX — A vocal critic of Child Protective Services can continue speaking out at the Capitol.

But following a Tucson lawmaker's complaint, Robin Scoins must stop speaking as the representative of her own one-woman organization to avoid registering as a lobbyist.

As long as Scoins refrains from speaking on behalf of the Arizona Family Rights Advocacy Institute, she will not face fines or a misdemeanor conviction for previously representing the group without being a registered lobbyist, according to the Attorney General's Office.

In a letter last week, Barbara Bailey, assistant attorney general, told Scoins, "We have closed our file on this matter."

Scoins, a 39-year-old single mother of four in Peoria, has been under scrutiny since March, when Tucson Rep. Pete Hershberger reported to the Secretary of State's Office that Scoins was claiming to be appearing on behalf of an organization but wasn't a registered lobbyist.

Scoins runs the organization out of her low-income housing unit and maintains a Web site. According to the site, AZFRAI advocates for parents "at risk of losing or have already lost custody of a child to CPS … due to false allegations." Scoins also solicits donations.

Eventually the issue made it to the Attorney General's Office, which concurred with Hershberger, chairman of the House Human Services Committee.

Scoins was told that she and her family-rights organization — which consists only of herself — needed to register with the state if she was to continue "lobbying" on CPS-related issues during Hershberger's committee hearings. Scoins was also facing potential fines and a misdemeanor conviction for lobbying without having registered.

Scoins, who disagrees her efforts constitute lobbying, decided rather than register, she would drop the use of her organization when speaking, a move that apparently appeased the state.

"I think it was kind of pointless to start this whole thing," Scoins said Wednesday. "I was afraid if people were having to register (as lobbyists) they weren't going to speak out. They already feel they can't speak out as it is."

Scoins and Hershberger are not always in disagreement on bills. But Hershberger tried to carve of moderate position on CPS during a time when the organization is facing criticisms for its handling of cases in Tucson and its level of openness and accountability.

The House Government Committee is leading its own closed-door investigation into CPS, specifically looking into two cases in Tucson in which children died despite CPS involvement.

Hershberger says he finds the attorney general's decision "appropriate."

"She's always had access," he said. "She can still make comments or she can testify. She's done that. The problem comes in when she represents someone or claims to represent someone and then doesn't register."