Read Blog for Arizona | Politics from a Liberal Viewpoint for more about Outlaw Dirty Money

ExPhoenix Mayor and State Attorney General Terry Goddard Spearhead a New Outlaw Dirty Money Initiative

August 27, 2020May 22, 2019 by David Gordon

APS holds a blind auction for two State Corporation Seats in 2014, bankrolling the two candidates that agree with their rate hiking agenda. The State Legislature, led by Vince “Dark Money is Good” Leach, has adopted measures to attack the enforceability of voter-approved Dark Money Ordinances in Tempe (which passed with 91 percent voter approval) … Read more

Tempe Leaders Relieved at the Attorney General’s Stance on the Dark Money Ordinance

August 27, 2020April 25, 2019 by David Gordon

Tempe Arizona’s Mayor and Vice Mayor were pleased with the decision from the State Attorney General office that the “Keep Dark Money out of Local Elections “ initiative, which passed in 2018 with 91 percent of local support does not violate state law and can be “harmonized together” with state statutes. The finding, sparked by … Read more

#RedForEd: Don’t Get Mad. Get Even on Nov 6 (video)

September 17, 2018 by Pamela Powers Hannley

Are you upset that the Outlaw Dirty Money and Invest In Ed Citizens Initiatives were tossed off of the November ballot by right-wing, activist judges? Many constituents have asked me what they can do about it. Here are three suggestions: vote NO on Prop 126, Prop 305 and Prop 306, and here’s why.

Along with hundreds of Arizonans, my volunteers and I carried petitions through the summer heat to get the Outlaw Dirty Money and Invest In Ed on the ballot. I’m upset that the Arizona Supreme Court tossed both of these initiatives off the ballot– despite their obvious popularity with the voters and despite the gargantuan signature drives that were mounted by the people. The only people who declined to sign these two petitions when I asked them were people who had already signed.

Outlaw Dirty Money was an attempt to bring more transparency to campaign finance laws. Invest In Ed would have raised the income tax on Arizona’s richest residents to pay for stable funding for public education. If you believe in these ideas– campaign finance transparency, getting big money out of politics, sustainable funding for public education, stopping the tax giveaways, and stopping school vouchers– there are three important “no” votes you can make on Nov. 6– No on Prop 126, No on Prop 305 and No on Prop 306.

Forces of ‘dark money’ block Outlaw Dirty Money initiative from the ballot, appeal filed

August 24, 2018 by AZ BlueMeanie

Our corporate overlords got their lickspittle servants in the GOP to enact a requirement in 2017 that all efforts by voters to enact their own laws by citizen initiative must be in “strict compliance” with each and every election statute, reversing more than 70 years of the courts applying the “substantial compliance” doctrine.

Our corporate overlords got their lickspittle servants in the GOP to enact a 2014 law that requires judges to toss signatures from circulators who don’t show up in court in response to a subpoena. Failure to show up in court in response to the subpoena means a judge must invalidate all the signatures collected by that individual – even if those signatures are valid.

These two provisions of law designed to undermine your constitutional right to enact laws through citizen initiatives were successfully used by the forces of “dark money” to prevent the Outlaw Dirty Money initiative from qualifying for the ballot. An appeal has been filed.

The Arizona Capitol Times reports, Court ruling, lack of signatures sink ‘dark money’ ballot measure:

A new court decision Thursday has left backers of a ban on “dark money” even further from their goal of getting the measure on the ballot.

In an extensive ruling, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Teresa Sanders rejected arguments by attorney Kim Demarchi that Secretary of State Michele Reagan had improperly and illegally disqualified some petitions submitted in July. Sanders said Reagan acted within what the law requires when petitions do not conform with legal requirements, i.e., strict compliance.

Lynsey Robinson will Fight for those Marginalized by Reactionary Conservatives in LD12

August 27, 2020August 23, 2018 by David Gordon

Democratic LD 12 State House Candidate Lynsey Robinson

What do you get when you let a political party get the idea that they can win unopposed in any legislative district? You get extreme legislators who think they can support any extreme measure that goes against the public good or turns the clock back because the other major party will not muster any opposition.

This is what has happened in Legislative District 12 (and other districts that Democrats up until this year have neglected). Voters in the Gilbert, Queen Creek, and San Tan area have had to suffer extreme reactionary Republicans like Eddie Farnsworth, Travis Grantham, and Warren Pedersen. They have run unopposed in two of the last three elections on the House side while supporting measures that promote Dark Money interests, giving public dollars to private (and in some cases religious) entities and taking away the rights of women in particular and voters in general.

Fortunately, Democrats are finally woke and, like other legislative districts, are championing multiple gifted and forward-looking candidates who offer a pragmatic progressive vision for the people of LD 12. These candidates are Lynsey Robinson, Joe Bisaccia, and D.J. Rothans.

Over drinks at the IHOP on Power and Baseline, Ms. Robinson charismatically conveyed why she would be an effective progressive legislator for the people of LD 12.