The Arizona Supreme Court declined to accept a case challenging the state’s new campaign contribution limits.

In a Tuesday afternoon order, Justice Robert Brutinel wrote that the court would not accept a petition for special action filed by opponents of HB2593, who hoped to bypass the lower courts and go straight to the Supreme Court. Brutinel did not elaborate on the high court’s reason for declining jurisdiction in the case.

Thomas Collins, the attorney who has provided legal advice to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission for the past two and a half years, will take over the agency as its new executive director.

Opponents of a bill that dramatically raises the state’s campaign contribution limits are asking the Arizona Supreme Court to strike it down before it goes into effect in two months, arguing that the measure violates the Voter Protection Act.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission has selected four finalists for its vacant executive director position and will likely conduct interviews later this month.

Several bills introduced at the Legislature this year have taken swipes at Clean Elections, but not so boldly as Rep. Paul Boyer’s concurrent resolution to swipe all monies from the Clean Elections system in favor of funding the state’s education needs.

Lang’s decision to leave the commission, and Collins’ impending departure, created a vacuum at a crucial time. Lawmakers, some of whom have been feuding with the commission and with the idea of publicly-financing politicians’ campaigns, recently approved H2593 (Laws 2013, Chapter 98) to dramatically increase contribution limits for individuals and remove the aggregate caps.

A provision in the 1998 ballot measure that created Arizona’s Clean Elections system may hold the key to whether the state’s new campaign contribution limits will go into effect for 2014.

Campaign cash may come pouring into some of Arizona’s top races next year thanks to a new law allowing candidates to raise far more money.

Critics say the bill will flood campaigns with more money and influence-buying, and that it may be the final nail in the coffin of Arizona’s voter-approved Clean Elections system.

A state lawmaker wants voters to decide whether to strip the Citizens Clean Elections Commission of its funding and give that money to the Arizona Department of Education.

A House bill that seeks to raise limits on campaign contributions could discourage candidates from using Arizona’s Clean Elections system, election officials warned.