By Bob Christie | AZ Capitol Times
Key Points:
- Arizona Supreme Court rejects constitutional challenge to 2022 voter-approved law
- Law requires groups to disclose donors for election influence
- The law includes an “opt-out” option for donors who want to remain anonymous
Arizona’s Supreme Court has largely upheld the state’s voter-approved crackdown on “dark money,” keeping in place one of the nation’s most sweeping donor-disclosure laws while sending a narrow free-speech challenge back to a lower court.
The court dismissed most of the claims against the 2022 donor-disclosure law but allowed one as-applied free-speech claim to move forward in trial court. In a divided 4-3 opinion written by Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer, the court rejected arguments that the “dark money” law is unconstitutional on its face or that it violates privacy rights in the state constitution. The “Voters Right to Know” Act, approved by more than 70% of voters in 2022, is aimed at ending anonymous big-money spending in Arizona elections and is widely described as one of the most comprehensive transparency laws in the country.
