The Arizona Senate this afternoon is scheduled to debate a compromise proposal that would change the state’s system of publicly funded political campaigns, in exchange for not asking voters to gut it. From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Mark Brodie reports.
MARK BRODIE: Critics of Arizona’s Clean Elections system were ready to ask voters to ban public money for political campaigns, which supporters say would undermine the voter-approved law. But instead, lawmakers will debate changes to the law - including a restriction on Clean Elections from promoting the law’s benefits, removing the box on state income tax forms where Arizonans can donate five dollars to the system and other changes. State Senator John McComishhas been involved in the talks. The Phoenix Republican said late last month the deal is a good compromise, and hopes it could be the last word on the issue.
JOHN McCOMISH: I don’t anticipate that we would need to make any further changes. Now, you never know. What’s going to be the result of these changes? I think we would need to see an election cycle and see what happens.
BRODIE: McComish says he’s confident he has enough support in the senate to approve the changes. The Executive Director of the Citizens Clean Elections Commission has said the compromise is preferable to the proposed ban on public money for campaigns.