Quick Reaction From Clean Elections Commission: We're Not Finished

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission ("CCEC") was very quick to react to today's Supreme Court ruling striking down the matching funds portion of the campaign financing system.  Within a minute or two of the opinion being released, this Tweet came out: 

@AZCCEC AZ Clean Elections

SCOTUS strikes down matching funds. Clean Elections will continue to fund as it did in 2010 w/o matching funds. http://t.co/9NtTTek

33 minutes ago via web

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UPDATE: Comment On Clean Elections Proposed Rule Tweak On Asset Returns; Pushed Back To February Meeting

Last week, we followed up on Cronkite News Services' article about the Arizona Clean Elections Commission meeting, and tried to move it forward.  Both articles focused on the proposed rule change on assets purchased by candidates worth more than $200. 

It was reported that the proposed tweak would be reconsidered at the January 27 meeting;  we noted that the 60-day public comment period would end slightly past the meeting.  The newly-revised proposed rule IS now up on the Clean Elections website and is open for comment until February 7.  The Commission confirmed to Arizona's Politics Thursday afternoon that it has been pushed back to the February 17 meeting.

The new proposed rule is now available for review on the website (also below), and the link to comment is up, too.

In the previous post, I offered some possible options, and urged everyone to offer their comments.  Those comments (obviously) still hold.  The only additional ones I came up with today are only to clarify a couple of the clauses.

Again, I encourage you to submit comments to the Commission, as well.

FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS - UPDATE: Arizona Clean Elections Commission Tweaks Proposed Rule On $200+ Assets

The Arizona Clean Elections Commission held their regular meeting yesterday.  As reported by Alyssa Newcomb from the Cronkite News Service, the Commission put off voting on a proposed rule change (current rule below) to require participating candidates to dispose of any computers or other assets costing more than $200, purchased with clean elections monies. 

The Commission tweaked the proposed provision to give candidates 30 days after the election to either purchase the property for 1/2 of the original purchase price or to turn the item(s) into the Commission (for sale as state surplus). 

The change was a reconsideration of the discussion/decision the Commission members had/made at their September meeting, when they agreed on 7 days and 75%. (discussion starts at page 67)

The new proposed rule will be published shortly on the Commission's website and be open for comments for (about) 60 days (until their Jan. 27 meeting, which is only 56 days away - comment early).

suggested comment and current rule, after the jump

FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS: SCOTUS To Decide What AZ Case; Clean Elections Money Went Where; Stanton Campaign Fund Drained By Who

Work certainly piled up over the holiday weekend, yet there is some interesting news that has surfaced during it.  Three stories worth note (and reading):

1) The U.S. Supreme Court announced today it will determine the constitutionality of the matching funds provision in Arizona's Clean Elections laws.  AP's Paul Davenport reports.

2) Monica Alonzo from Phoenix New Times reports today on the apparent draining of possible Phoenix mayoral hopeful Greg Stanton's city council campaign fund. 

3) Alyssa Newcomb from Cronkite News Service reported yesterday (in the Arizona Republic) on some of the things that legislative candidates spent their Clean Elections monies on.  My thought while reading the first part of the article: all items with value after election should be donated to non-profits (started brainstorming processes); turns out Clean Elections Commission is considering such a solution (with state being the non-profit).

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.