Commission Proposes Amendments To Clean Elections Act

By Jimmy Jenkins
Published: Thursday, June 6, 2019 - 3:29pm

The Arizona Clean Elections Commission is taking comments for proposed amendments to the Clean Elections Act.

When the Clean Elections Act was created in 1998, it put in place a statute that calls for public comment periods for rule amendments.

The Arizona Clean Elections Commission is considering four minor changes. CEO Tom Collins said a recent election prompted an amendment to regulations on seed money. He said an interpretation of the current rule allows candidates to stack donation limits. 

“In other words, all the qualifying contributions you could take," Collins said, "you could stack them on top of each other. So you’ve got a limited amount you can take from yourself or your family. That gets stacked on top of what other individuals. You can’t stack all your limits together and give yourself a loan up to that amount"

Collins said there was an ambiguity in the previous language that seemed to allow such activity.

Other changes would give the commission more time to seek loan repayment from candidates who spent money illegally.

Collins said the public can comment through email or the commission’s website. The public can also testify at a meeting on July 29.