Alaska Gives Ninth Circuit the Cold Shoulder: Conflicts in Campaign Finance Jurisprudence

The US Supreme Court has yet to directly address the constitutionality of state laws that limit participation in the political processes to residents. There have been federal circuit court and state supreme court decisions, but no constitutional consensus has been reached among them. Hyman explores the debate between the Ninth Circuit and the Alaska Supreme Court regarding the constitutional limits of laws that fall into this jurisprudential gap. Specifically, he examines how the two courts reached different conclusions when interpreting similar statutes to limit out-of-state donors from contributing money to state elections.