PHOENIX (AP) - A bill preventing the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission from investigating possible campaign contribution violations by candidates who don’t participate in the program is headed to the governor’s desk.
Senate Bill 1344 would allow only the Secretary of State and state Attorney General to investigate.
The bill failed in the House on Monday but passed on reconsideration Tuesday.
It failed again in the Senate on Wednesday but then passed on reconsideration.
The final vote was 16-12.
Proponents say the commission doesn’t have authority to investigate candidates who don’t take public campaign funding.
The commission says they do have authority and announced last year it planned to begin doing so. The Citizens Clean Elections Act provides funding to candidates if they forgo private donations.
The House added language changing independent expenditure rules.
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