From Goldwater Institute President & CEO Darcy Olsen:
Just a brief note to share the good news that the Goldwater Institute has won another courtroom victory for taxpayers. This morning, we received word from the court that a law allowing school districts to spend bond money on projects voters did not approve violates both the Arizona and U.S. Constitutions. To wit, the law “essentially abrogates the voters’ rights existing at the time of their bond vote, and by so doing, strikes a blow to the election process and violates both the Arizona and Federal Constitution under the contract clause.”
In practical terms, this ruling means that governments must abide by the rule of law and contracts, respecting voter rights. It also means the legislature cannot pass laws to carve out exceptions to the rule of law.
Of course, it’s also important to guarantee that voters have a voice at the ballot box before governments borrow money. It’s an issue that prompted a recent lawsuit in Raleigh.
