Arizona Supreme Court

Goldwater Institute attorney Clint Bolick appeared on Horizon to talk about the Arizona Supreme Court's decision in the CityNorth case.

Watch it here

The Goldwater Institute’s constitutional challenge to the $97.4 million CityNorth subsidy was the signature test for an untried idea: a litigation center dedicated to vindicating largely unused protections of individual rights and written restraints on government in our state constitution. Monday’s decision by the Arizona Supreme Court in Turken v. Gordon illustrates the potential for such endeavors.

Phoenix--Today in a unanimous decision the Arizona Supreme Court declared that government subsidies to encourage development violate the Gift Clause of the Arizona Constitution unless the developer offers tangible benefits of equal value in return. The ruling clarifies previous decisions the court believed were confusing and applied the rule prospectively. The Court declined to invalidate the CityNorth subsidy and sent the case back to the Arizona Court of Appeals to consider other legal challenges.

With temperatures wavering in Arizona's autumn season, the state Supreme Court is keeping the sun shining brightly on Arizona government. The Justices ruled on October 29 that information automatically stored in electronic files, like creation date and edit history, is open to the public.

A few years ago, there was a joke running around Scottsdale. It went something like this: Why did the Mercedes dealership cross the road?

Answer: to get to the $3 million.

What? You don't think that's funny? Well, you're not supposed to because the joke's long been on you.

Chickens, you see, may cross the road merely to get to the other side, but car dealers and shopping mall developers have been eagerly crossing over for years in order to collect freebies from the taxpayers.

After more than two years and two court rulings, the Goldwater Institute's CityNorth case is now in the hands of the Arizona Supreme Court.

Watch it here

Shortly after giving the Goldwater Institute's arguments in the CityNorth case in front of the Arizona Supreme Court, Clint Bolick went on KJZZ's Here and Now program to give a post-argument wrap up.

Listen to it here.

During the Great Depression, Chief Justice Alfred C. Lockwood dissented against a string of Arizona Supreme Court decisions that allowed the state to deviate from the Arizona Constitution's pay-as-you-go budget rules. In one case, Lockwood warned, "Facilis descensus Averno. Sed retro!" Translation: "The road to hell is easy. Reconsider!"

Saying that bankruptcy court might be the only place to stop a deal that forces taxpayers into subsidizing the Phoenix Coyotes, the Goldwater Institute filed a motion this afternoon asking to the judge to allow them to intervene in the case.

The motion is filed on behalf of eight Glendale taxpayers.