Don laws restricting political contributions unfairly compromise free speech rights?
Not at all; we are actually free speech rigorists. Pay-to-play reform ordinances regulate contracting with the municipality; they do not regulate campaign speech. These ordinances set standards for no-bid contractors operating in the town, which they have to meet in order to qualify for a contract. If a contractor doesn’t like the ordinance, he can still give as much money as he wants to his favorite campaigns, but he’ll thus disqualify himself from getting a public contract in the community. By linking political/financial behavior with the contracting privilege, we can crack down on pay-to-play politics and still protect and preserve our vital first amendment liberties.
