New clean elections proposal draws opposition from Arizona officials

PHOENIX — The Arizona Chamber of Commerce is against a proposed ballot initiative concerning clean elections, saying it would discourage businesses from donating to campaigns.

The Arizona Clean and Accountable Elections Act would limit the amount an individual or political action committee could contribute to $1,000 per local or legislative candidate or $2,500 per statewide candidates.

It would also require corporations spending more than $10,000 in an election to disclose high dollar donors.

“We should have an elections regime in Arizona that encourages participation (in elections) and doesn’t discourage it,” said Garrick Taylor, spokesman for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.

Taylor said it would gut major provisions of Senate Bill 1516, which has already been signed into law.

He said the law strikes the right balance between disclosure while encouraging participation in elections, but believes this clean elections proposal would strengthen the idea of taxpayer-funded political campaigns.

“Taxpayers, with all the issues facing Arizona, do not need to be paying for yard signs, junk mail and robocalls,” Taylor said.

He said businesses have a right to participate in elections through speech or private giving.

Julie Erfle, a spokeswoman for Arizona Clean and Accountable Elections, said the intent of the ballot proposal is to allow candidates to compete and run free from special interest and big money donors.

Erfle said she is not surprised by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce’s opposition to the initiative.

“They want elected officials accountable to them instead of their constituents and beholden to big money instead of voters,” Erfle said.

In order for the Arizona Clean and Accountable Elections Act to make the ballot in November, it needs 150,642 signatures by July 7.