Phyllis Salowe-Kaye of New Jersey Citizen Action and David Donnelly of our sister organization, Public Campaign Action Fund, team up for this opinion piece in the Times of Trenton cautioning opponents of Clean Elections to shelve the champagne for now: New Jersey's Clean Elections system may have hit a speedbump, but its nothing insurmountable.  

New Jersey's state Assembly Speaker called for a halt to the Clean Elections program in light of a court decision on Arizona's Clean Elections program that might challenge the portion of the law that grants matching funds to Clean Elections candidates who are outspent by rivals. That hardly means that New Jersey has lost its Clean Elections program.  In fact, in light of the high participation in the pilot program last cycle, and nationwide trend of support for existing Clean Elections system, New Jersey's lawmakers have significant incentive to address concerns with the law and have a new version ready to go for the next cycle of elections:

Isn't that a worthwhile program to figure out how to expand and continue, particularly in New Jersey? We think so.

When courts issue decisions that erect challenges to implementing important public policy matters, the response ought not to be to throw up one's hands and walk away. To do so on this matter would be to leave the political system strangled by big money and ordinary voters on the sidelines. The best response is to roll up our sleeves and get to work to craft policy options and build the political support necessary to advance the Clean Elections program.

That's what we intend to do.