On June 19, the Arizona State Senate gave preliminary approval to SCR1025, which would ask the voters in 2010 if they wish to eliminate funding for the state’s public financing program for candidates for state office. The bill passed the Senate, but the vote was not recorded, because it was just a preliminary “committee of the whole” vote. A formal vote will probably be held on June 23.

The Arizona public funding program is also under attack in federal court. Last year, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled in McComish v Brewer that the part of the act that provides for extra public funding for participating candidates who have non-participating opponents is probably unconstitutional. The judge did not enjoin the program for the 2008 election because the case had been filed so late, but the case is continuing.

An interesting analysis of the effect of the Arizona public funding program was published in the Phoenix New Times of March 31, 2009. It concludes that the chief change in Arizona politics caused by public funding has been a boost to more conservative Republicans, as opposed to “Chamber of Commerce”-type Republicans.