Arizona Secretary of State

SCOTUS upholds state legislative district redistricting plan (updated)

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Every challenge the Arizona Republican Party has made to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) redistricting plan for Arizona has ended in failure.

SupremeCourtThe latest attempt has again ended in failure.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in Harris v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (.pdf) rejecting the challenge to legislative districts from the Original North Phoenix Tea Party founder Wesley Harris. Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan  filed an amicus brief in support of Harris. Attorney General Mark Brnovich had to argue in favor of the Secretary of State at oral argument before the Court.

A three judge panel of the U.S. District Court for Arizona, by a vote of 2 to 1, entered a judgment for the AIRC. The majority found that “the population deviations were primarily a result of good-faith efforts to comply with the Voting Rights Act . . . even though partisanship played some role.” 993 F. Supp. 2d 1042, 1046 (Ariz. 2014). Appellants sought direct review in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Justice Breyer delivered the unanimous opinion of the Court:

The Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause requires States to “make an honest and good faith effort to construct [legislative] districts . . . as nearly of equal population as is practicable.” Reynolds, 377 U. S., at 577. The Constitution, however, does not demand mathematical perfection. In determining what is “practicable,” we have recognized that the Constitution permits deviation when it is justified by “legitimate considerations incident to the effectuation of a rational state policy.” Id., at 579.

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A ‘citizens veto’ (referendum) of SB 1516 is under consideration

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Yesterday when I posted about SB 1516 (.pdf), the so-called “Campaign Finance Amendments” bill from Secretary of State Michele Reagan, more appropriately titled the “dark money on steroids” bill, The GOP culture of corruption in Arizona embraces its dark side, I suggested:

dark_moneyIt may be a more practical alternative to force a citizens referendum of SB 1516 — a referendum requires about half the number of signatures as an initiative, 75,321 valid signatures — as voters successfully did for the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, just a couple of years ago. AZ Lege seeks to repeal the GOP Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, to deprive the voters of their ‘citizens veto’. It is something that clean elections and voting rights advocates need to consider.

Well speak of the devil. Howard Fischer reports, Opponent of ‘dark money’ disclosure bill considering seeking public vote:

Arizona voters may get the last word on sweeping legislation that alters the rules for “dark money” and other anonymous donations to politicians and ballot measures.

Rep. Ken Clark, D-Phoenix, who led the unsuccessful attempt to defeat the measure earlier this week, said he is setting up meetings with groups that would be interested in referring SB 1516 to the November ballot.

That includes former Attorney General Terry Goddard, who had launched an initiative drive to enact new state laws forcing greater disclosure of who is influencing elections. That campaign has been suspended while Goddard looks for donations after the initial source of funding dried up.

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What went wrong in Arizona’s election

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Arizona — OK, the state of Maricopa — was a national disgrace last week with an epic failure on election day for the Presidential Preference Election.  Some voters stood in line for over five hours to vote (which reminds me of the determined souls who stood in the cold for over ten hours in Ohio in 2004, No One Should Have to Stand in Line for 10 Hours to Vote, and the voters who stood in line for over seven hours in Florida in 2012. No One in America Should Have to Wait 7 Hours to Vote; Florida Voting Lines Discouraged 201,000 Voters Statewide).

Screenshot from 2016-03-28 13:33:22

A special Arizona House Elections Committee hearing today will take testimony from Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell, and Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan will announce the results of her preliminary review before the hearing. Arizona House panel to review election foul-ups. You can bet that the Secretary of State will not name everyone responsible for this epic failure.

John Roberts and the Conservative Activist Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court

Chief Justice John Roberts spent his entire legal career seeking to undermine the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He achieved his life’s goal in 2013 with Shelby County v. Holder. The Election in Arizona Was a Mess:

Arizona has a long history of problems at the ballot box. Until 2013, the Grand Canyon State was one of 16 states required to clear all changes to voting law and procedures with the U.S. Department of Justice, under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, because of its history of discriminatory and racist election practices.

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Evil GOP bastards vote to make ‘dark money’ even easier in Arizona

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The evil GOP bastards in the Arizona Senate are taking their marching orders from the “Kochtopus” the same as Arizona’s queen of voter suppression, Secretary of State Michele Reagan, the author of SB 1516 (.pdf) “Campaign Finance Amendments.” They voted on Tuesday to make dark money even easier in Arizona.

dark_moneyHoward Fischer reports, ‘Dark money’ rules eased in AZ Senate campaign finance bill:

Senate Republicans on Tuesday approved a series of changes in state campaign finance laws that foes say eases the flow of “dark money” and makes it harder for voters to know who is trying to affect the outcome of elections.

Among the changes being made, SB 1516:

  • Removes the authority of state election officials to subpoena records of candidates;
  • Reduces the penalties for candidates who overspend;
  • Permits candidates to divert money given to their campaigns to instead help others get elected;
  • Eases requirements for disclosure on campaign advertising of the major funding sources;
  • Allows unlimited spending by outside groups on social media sites with no requirement to say who is financing those efforts.

Perhaps the most notable change would eliminate existing laws that limit how much certain kinds of charities and nonprofits can spend to influence elections.

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Secretary of State seeks to make ‘dark money’ even easier in Arizona (updated)

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dark_moneyArizona’s queen of voter suppression, Secretary of State Michele Reagan, has another massive election law bill moving through the legislature. Buried deep in the bill is a political payoff to the “Kochtopus” and their dark money bag man in Arizona, Sean Noble, who funneled dark money into all of the statewide Republican candidate races in 2014.

The Republic’s Laurie Roberts assured voters that Reagan was going to do something about dark money during the campaign last year. I warned you that Reagan was lying. Since taking office, Reagan has gone out of her way to facilitate dark money in politics and to prevent new disclosure regulations. Thanks for nothing, Ms. Roberts. You were duped and duped voters for Reagan.

Here is Reagan’s latest back-door attempt to aid the “Kochtopus” and Sean Noble. Arizona bill quietly loosens dark money rules:

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