Arizona voters will be able to see who is funding the candidates directly on the ballot for the November election.
Any group spending more than $50,000 on a statewide race or $25,000 in a local race must disclose who is funding them, according to the “Voter’s Right to Know Act” initiative.
The initiative, also called Proposition 211, was created as a bipartisan effort led by former state Attorney General Terry Goddard to hold political groups to the same rules as individual donors. In August, the groups had collected over 350,000 signatures in support of the initiative.
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They argued that the initiative was not properly registered with the state, but the lawsuit was tossed out of court by both the state Superior Court and Supreme Court.
Business leader David Tedesco told a local CBS affiliate that voters deserve to know who is paying for all of the ads and that there is no other agenda.
“We’re not seeking to limit the amount people spend, not seeking to limit spending — we’re not seeking to limit ads,” Tedesco said. “All we’re saying is if you are going to spend significant money on Arizona elections, you’re going to raise your hand and say, ‘Hey, it’s me.’”
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The Washington Examiner reached out to the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and the secretary of state’s office for comment.
