Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling on Matching Funds
June 08, 2010PHOENIX – Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer released the following statement regarding today’s decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that blocks the distribution of matching funds under the state’s taxpayer-funded campaign finance scheme:
“We applaud today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to block the matching funds provision of the state’s taxpayer-funded campaign system.
“The court’s action strikes a blow for free speech and hopefully puts the whole system of publicly-financed campaigns on life support. Now traditionally funded candidates can run their campaigns at full strength without simultaneously helping their publicly funded opponents.
“I am confident that the Supreme Court will give matching funds a full review later this year and will agree that they should be permanently relegated to the same category as the Edsel, 8-track tapes and Betamax.”
The Chamber this year strongly backed SCR 1009, sponsored by former Sen. Jonathan Paton, which would have given Arizona voters the opportunity to decide whether public funds should be used in political campaigns.
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