“Federal court strikes down state rule on political issue ads”

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

A federal appeals court has struck down state rules regulating campaign-style issue ads, but the practical impact of the decision is blunted because the rules had already been sidelined by another lawsuit 3 1/2 years ago.

Wednesday’s decision by the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago likely ends a legal battle that has played out in state and federal court since 2010. It began when the state Government Accountability Board was sued for seeking to regulate ads that weighed in on issues and candidates in the run-up to an election without expressly advocating for the defeat or victory of the candidates

I have posted the 88-page unanimous 7th Circuit decision at this link. I have not had a chance to read it carefully yet but I do see that it relies on the stricter “exacting scrutiny” for contribution limits set forth in McCutcheon.

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