The Rio Grande Foundation is suing one of New Mexico's most liberal cities, Santa Fe, over its restrictive campaign finance laws which hindered its efforts in the battle earlier this year over the (ultimately defeated) tax on soda and sugary drinks. 

Reposted as received from the Rio Grande Foundation

Rio Grande Foundation Sues Over Santa Fe Campaign Disclosure Rule
Albuquerque Journal | T.S. Last | July 26, 2017

 https://www.abqjournal.com/1038877/rio-grande-foundation-sues-over-santa-fe-campaign-disclosure-rule.html 

Matt Miller, left, senior attorney with the Goldwater Institute, and Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, speak outside the Santa Fe federal courthouse on Wednesday about a lawsuit the Rio Grande Foundation has filed against a Santa Fe campaign finance disclosure ordinance.

SANTA FE – Saying it was acting on behalf of other non-profit groups and free speech, the Rio Grande Foundation on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Santa Fe city government, challenging an ordinance that requires 501(c)3 organizations to disclose donors if a non-profit spends more than $250 in support of or opposition to a ballot initiative.

Earlier this year, the Rio Grande Foundation – an Albuquerque-based "free market' and libertarian-leaning public policy group that advocates for limited government – was reprimanded by the city's Ethics and Campaign Review Board for violating the ordinance.

The foundation had distributed an animated video over social media mocking Mayor Javier Gonzales' ballot proposal to tax distributors of sugar-sweetened beverages. The proposal was soundly defeated in a May special election.

Matt Miller, senior attorney with the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix policy group representing the foundation, said at a news conference in front of the Santa Fe federal courthouse that the lawsuit was aimed at preventing the names, addresses and occupations of donors from becoming public and potentially opening them up to harassment and intimidation from ideological opponents.

Miller said laws such as the one passed in Santa Fe in 2015 are spreading. Albuquerque and Las Cruces have similar laws, he said, and so do cities in Delaware, Missouri, Montana and South Dakota.

"These laws are different from traditional campaign finance regulations where you are required to submit disclosures when you support or oppose a candidate for office," he said. "These laws involve support or opposition to a municipal ballot initiative, and the (U.S.) Supreme Court has held that the donors of 501(c)3s are protected by the First Amendment."

Miller said the civil rights laws preventing such disclosure have been on the books since the 1950s, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit has twice made rulings upholding the law.

Asked for comment on the lawsuit, a spokesman said the city does not comment on pending litigation.

The federal lawsuit about protecting people's privacy, said Paul Gessing, the foundation's president.

"A mother or someone who is engaged in a political campaign who had nothing to do with the Rio Grande Foundation ... those folks shouldn't have to deal with exposure or having their names out in a public database," he said.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.