As death-penalty cases stack up, Supreme Court searches for help

The Arizona Supreme Court can comfortably death penalty cases at a pace of 10 to 12 per year. Most of their decisions are to uphold the death sentences. But now there are 27 capital cases, a number that has grown from 17 in 2008, and even more cases are reaching the appeal phase.

Clean Elections requires candidates to buy or return equipment

The Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission approved a rule change Thursday that would require candidates to turn over laptops and other fixed assets exceeding $200 or purchase them at half of the original price.

Birthright citizenship debate, a preview

When lawmakers today tackle a proposal that is aimed at ultimately challenging the citizenship of American-born children of illegal immigrants, the debate probably will focus on the meaning of a phrase of the 14th Amendment: Who exactly is “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States?

Dear supreme court liberals, XOXO, love Nick

Goldwater Institute attorney Nick Dranias said he crafted his recently filed matching funds arguments with a very specific audience in mind: the U.S. Supreme Court’s more liberal members.

No one betting SCOTUS upholds matching funds

The matching funds lawsuit McComish v. Bennett will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, which in June rode roughshod over the Ninth Circuit's determination that the funds pass constitutional muster.

Tight primary races put focus on halt to Clean Elections funding matches

David Lujan lost the Democratic primary for attorney general by 2,427 votes, less than 1 percent of all ballots cast in the race.

Another day, another AZ law goes before SCOTUS

News this morning that the U.S. Supreme Court would hear an appeal of Arizona's employer sanctions law (Laws 2007, Chapter 279) was hailed as a minor victory by both proponents and critics of the law. Pearce told our reporter he believes the high court, by a 6-3 or 5-4 vote, will uphold the law as constitutional. "We've won at every level," he said, adding that upholding the law will allow for emp[...]

Brewer’s attorney blasts CCEC for inaction on matching funds

Gov. Jan Brewer's campaign attorney accused the Citizens Clean Elections Commission of abdicating its responsibility after commissioners decided not seek help for publicly financed candidates who are now forced to run their campaigns without the benefit of matching funds.

Ripple effect

Arizona’s matching funds system for publicly financed campaigns may be going down, but it probably won’t go alone.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to block Arizona’s Clean Elections system from distributing matching funds is a bad omen for similar systems in other states, and could portend their end if the court rules that matching funds are unconstitutional, according to legal [...]

You keep saying that, but…

Questions about what is and is not fair for candidates were of primary importance to CCEC staff and commissioners yesterday, but in court, their attorneys appear to have made a conscious effort recently to dodge those terms. Before yesterday's emergency meeting, Commissioner Gary Scaramazzo told our reporter he was upset by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to stop matching funds from being distri[...]

Clean Elections won’t allow more fundraising

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission decided there is little it can do to help publicly funded candidates who are suddenly without matching funds, and Gov. Jan Brewer won't throw it the lifeline it's asking for either.

Clean Elections could allow emergency fundraising

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission may consider enacting an emergency clause that would allow publicly funded candidates to raise additional campaign cash, a change that Gov. Jan Brewer's campaign is hoping can alleviate the sudden loss of matching funds.