Supreme Court further cripples the suffrage law and protects dark money spending – Arkansas Times
Court packing works. Ask the Republican Party.
In 6-3 votes today, along with two judges stolen from the Democratic Party through Mitch McConnell maneuvers and hypocrisy, the US Supreme Court won victories eagerly sought by Republicans.
RIGHT TO VOTE: The court overturned lower level courts invalidating Arizona law to prohibit postal ballot papers from anyone other than family or a caregiver, and to invalidate votes cast in the wrong district. These laws could have a discriminatory effect, but not substantial enough to repeal, the Republican court said. It makes the voting law a “dead letter,” writes NPR. And it bodes bad for the challenges ahead in Arkansas and elsewhere for a new set of state laws aimed at reducing the number of voters, especially among the poor and minority communities. Arkansas already restricts what Republicans like to call “ballot harvesting,” although there is little evidence of fraud.
DARK MONEY: The same judges overturned lower courts and overturned a California law requiring disclosure of major contributors to nonprofits. It has been challenged by nonprofit political organizations that raise and spend huge sums of money to influence politics (including millions spent by strangers to influence Supreme Court candidates like Brett Kavanaugh). A group affiliated with Koch was among those who requested the case. A former Koch organization employee, State Representative David Ray, introduced new law through the recent Arkansas legislature to ensure that such disclosure is prohibited in Arkansas. Dark money supporters refer to it as a First Amendment edition. Even the late Judge Antonin Scalia did not see the disclosure of political donations that way. Stand up for what you believe in.
Post a comment!
