December 15, 2015 •
Austin, Texas Campaign Finance Rules Challenged
On December 14, testimony was heard in a case in U.S. District Court challenging the city of Austin’s campaign finance ordinances. City councilman Don Zimmerman originally brought the lawsuit last summer alleging the city’s blackout period for fundraising and the […]
On December 14, testimony was heard in a case in U.S. District Court challenging the city of Austin’s campaign finance ordinances. City councilman Don Zimmerman originally brought the lawsuit last summer alleging the city’s blackout period for fundraising and the political contribution limits are unconstitutional violations of free speech. The trial being conducted before U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel is expected to conclude this week.
Photo of Austin, Texas skyline at night by Argash on Wikimedia Commons.
July 31, 2015 •
Austin, Texas Campaign Finance Laws Challenged in Court
On July 27, city of Austin, Texas Councilman Don Zimmerman filed suit seeking a preliminary injunction against city campaign finance provisions relating to blackout periods. The current law only allows officeholders, candidates, and their respective committees to accept campaign contributions […]
On July 27, city of Austin, Texas Councilman Don Zimmerman filed suit seeking a preliminary injunction against city campaign finance provisions relating to blackout periods. The current law only allows officeholders, candidates, and their respective committees to accept campaign contributions during the last 180 days before an election or recall election. Zimmerman asserts the blackout period banning contributions in the city violates his First Amendment rights of free speech. On February 2, 2015, in Gordon v. City of Houston, a federal district court declared a similar ordinance in the city of Houston as facially unconstitutional and permanently enjoined the city from enforcing the ordinance.
Zimmerman v. City of Austin, Texas, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, also claims the law’s imposition of aggregate limits of the total contributions a candidate can accept from sources other than natural persons eligible to vote in a postal zip code completely or partially within the Austin city limits is unconstitutional, creates a burden on campaigns, and does not relate to any threat of corruption. The lawsuit also challenges a 90 day requirement for campaign account terminations. “Political speech is the very core of the First Amendment, but Austin’s campaign finance system seeks to control debate by controlling fundraising and spending,” stated Zimmerman’s attorney, Jerad Najvar, in a press release.
Photo of the Austin, Texas skyline by Erik A. Ellison on Wikimedia Commons.
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