PHOENIX — A judge has rebuffed a bid by two groups involved in Arizona politics to void a new voter-approved law designed to prohibit “dark money” in political races.
In a new ruling released Thursday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott McCoy acknowledged the Arizona Constitution has a specific provision guaranteeing the right to freely speak, write and publish on all subjects. And the judge said it is broader than the federal First Amendment.
But McCoy rejected arguments by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and the Center for Arizona Policy that the requirements in Proposition 211 to disclose the true identity of donors to candidate races and ballot measures violates the rights of donors to affect candidate races and ballot measures.
