OPINION — January marks the 50th anniversary of Buckley v. Valeo, the Supreme Court decision that launched our current era of unregulated and unlimited money in politics. The result has been elections that are increasingly dominated by massive donors, dark money and even foreign-influenced spending, and a political system that too often is unresponsive to everyday citizens.
Arizona is not immune to this problem. In 2022, Arizonans voted in favor of Prop 211, The Voters' Right to Know Act. Prop 211 is designed to increase the transparency of big money in Arizona's elections.
However, this initiative has faced an uphill battle with special interests using lawsuits and the courts to attack it. This is not a left v. right issue or even Democrat v. Republican. It is a self-government issue. When a handful of wealthy interests can overwhelm the voices of millions, the core promise of our republic is at risk: that the people are the ultimate source of political power.
