Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Supreme Court of the United States is almost done with its term. Next Monday may be the last batch of decisions announced by the Court. Among them are two appeals regarding Arizona's Citizens Clean Elections law.

I am a bit surprised by this. I thought this would be a quick decision after the "corporate personhood" decision of Citizens United v. FEC and the "millionaire's amendment" decision of Davis v. FEC. I am beginning to wonder whether the decisions will be more complicated with concurrences in part and dissents in part creating a mixed bag. Or perhaps this is for dramatic effect should the Court strike down all state clean elections laws with a broad sweeping decision. We should learn next week.

From www.scotusblog.com:

03.28.2011
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Aud.		 10-238 AZ Free Ent. Club v. Bennett

 

(1) Whether the First Amendment forbids states from providing additional government subsidies to publicly financed candidates that are triggered by independent expenditure groups' speech against such candidates; and (2) whether the First Amendment forbids states from providing additional government subsidies to publicly financed candidates that are triggered by the fundraising or expenditures by these candidates' privately financed opponents.

 
03.28.2011
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Aud.		 10-239 McComish v. Bennett (1) Whether Arizona's matching funds trigger, which provides publicly financed candidates with additional subsidies that are triggered by independent expenditures or by the raising and spending of money by privately financed candidates and their supporters, violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments; and (2) whether the Arizona law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments by regulating campaign financing to equalize resources among competing candidates and interest groups, rather than advancing a compelling state interest in the least restrictive manner.