U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Arizona's "Clean Elections Act"

What do you do if several of your state legislators are caught on videotape stuffing campaign cash into gym bags in exchange for votes on bills?  If you're the electorate of Arizona, you pass a law that gives public money to state candidates who agree to limit  private fundraising, and kicks in extra public funds to match the spending of a wealthy, free-spending opponent.  The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear a challenge to the act based on an argument that the matching funds are unconstitutional because they punish candidates who raise and spend private money.  Court analysts say that a 5-4 majority on the Court tends to disfavor restrictions on campaign spending.  If the act is found to be unconstitutional, it will take off the table one of the more popular strategies advocated by reformers as a means to reduce the appearance of impropriety problems associated with election of judges. The case is Microsoft v. i4i Limited Partnership (10-290).  SCOTUSblog has details.