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Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
'Clean elections' makes top ten worst ideas list in Ariz.
Published on January 5, 2010 10:12 AM
Category: Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
The Phoenix New Times published its list of the "10 Worst Ideas of the Decade" over the holiday break, and — no surprise — Arizona's system of taxpayer handouts to political candidates makes the list: 8. Clean Elections. Okay, so voters approved this "reform" in the late 90s. But it's only in this decade that publicly funded elections have taken root here. And boy, have the results been lousy. Nearly $15 million in surcharges and court fees go into this fund every year -- and the be
Study: The First Amendment is a loophole
Published on December 23, 2009 03:03 PM
Category: Contributions & Limits, Independent Speech, Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
The Associated Press published a story today detailing a study released by the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS), a Los Angeles-based organization that advocates for taxpayer financed campaigns and other campaign finance regulations. The study purports to show that, "[p]oliticians across the country keep finding ways to skirt campaign-finance laws, using ballot-measure committees and other avenues to raise millions of dollars in unregulated contributions," according to the AP lede [newspape
No campaign finance fix in Conn. special session
Published on December 23, 2009 02:20 PM
Category: Jurisprudence & Litigation, Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
Richard Winger at Ballot Access News reports that Connecticut's special session gaveled to a close without any action on the state's unconstitutional system of taxpayer financed campaigns: The Connecticut legislature had a brief special session this week, but again it took no action to amend the law on public funding for candidates for state office. So, the original law will be the subject of the upcoming 2nd circuit oral argument on January 13, 2010. The U.S. District Court had invalidated the
Why does Wisconsin Common Cause hate Wisconsin voters?
Published on December 23, 2009 01:00 PM
Category: Jurisprudence & Litigation, Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
Jay Heck, the registered lobbyist who is the Executive Director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, is really upset. Heck and Common Cause have lobbyied long and hard to pass a bill, which they call the Impartial Justice Act, that we — like a pair of Federal courts — believe is unconstitutional based on the Supreme Court's precedent in Davis v. Federal Election Commission. And Heck is really mad that Wisconsin Right to Life, represented by the "Big Bopper" (the indispe
CCP files lawsuit; reformers wonder what the Heck happened
Published on December 22, 2009 03:09 PM
Category: Jurisprudence & Litigation, Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
The Center for Competitive Politics joined local counsel James Troupis in filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of Judge Randy Koschnick challenging Wisconsin's recently-passed "Impartial Justice Act." CCP's press release is here. An op-ed written by CCP Chairman Brad Smith for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the constitutionally-flawed bill is here. A lawsuit filed last week by Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action Committee raises similar issues.
WRTL PAC challenges Wis. taxpayer funded judicial campaigns
Published on December 18, 2009 04:42 PM
Category: Independent Speech, Jurisprudence & Litigation, Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
Campaign finance lawyer James Bopp, Jr. sends word today that he's filing a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action Committee challenging the state's recently-signed bill enacting taxpayer financed campaigns for state Supreme Court. The Center for Competitive Politics has pointed out several policy problems and constitutional flaws in the legislation.
Pack the Court!
Published on December 17, 2009 12:54 PM
Category: Independent Speech, Jurisprudence & Litigation, Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
The latest hysterical reform effort to push back against the Supreme Court's pending ruling in Citizens United v. FEC seems like self-satire at first glance. Oregon campaign finance attorney and Ralph Nader acolyte Dan Meek has channeled FDR in creating a campaign called "PACK THE COURT." It has a website, www.packthecourt.com, with a 1,067-word manifesto, "ASSAULT ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM."
Lawmakers iffy on 'clean elections' in Arizona
Published on December 14, 2009 01:50 PM
Category: Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
The Arizona Daily Star, the paper of record Tucson, published a devastating article today on the state's program for taxpayer financed campaigns. A snippet: But even the guy who helped bankroll the campaign to get it approved, former Democratic Party Chairman Jim Pederson, now says it was a mistake — not only failing to achieve those goals, but actually contributing to more partisanship and the exclusion of political minority perspectives.
Latest page in the reform playbook: attack Harry Reid
Published on December 11, 2009 05:19 PM
Category: Contributions & Limits, Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
The latest effort by "reform" organizations to flack for a bill to provide congressional candidates campaign welfare: a joint press release by Common Cause and Public Campaign blasting Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid for allegedly requesting to delay weekend votes to attend a fundraiser. From the release: "That the leader of the US Senate would even consider delaying Senate proceedings and negotiations on an issue as important as health care reform, reportedly to attend a fundraiser, speaks vo
FENA's financial backers
Published on December 11, 2009 11:31 AM
Category: Taxpayer Financed Campaigns
Mother Jones recently published a story on a concerted campaign by "reform" organizations to push for the misnamed "Fair Elections Now Act" after a pending decision in the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. FEC. Most observers expect the Court to overturn Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and part of McConnell v. FEC, affirming corporations' (including advocacy nonprofits') and unions' First Amendment right to spend money on independent expenditures. To "reform" organizations, such a d
