Supreme Court Delays Decision in Citizens United Until 2010

The Supreme Court has put off until next year a ruling in the Citizens United case, leaving many anxious about the impending decision. The case challenges limits on corporate and union spending on elections and could significantly alter future campaign seasons. The case was re-argued in a special session on Sept. 9, and three months later there is still no decision.

The Legal Times blog, BLT reports; "Things have apparently gotten complicated in the private counsels of the Court. [. . .] Speculation has already intensified over what is causing the delay, and what it could mean. The general consensus is that a proliferation of concurrences and dissents has slowed issuance of the final ruling, pointing toward the kind of mix-and-match majority decision that will be hard to decipher -- and harder to put into effect. With the 2010 congressional campaign season drawing near, that could mean confusion over the role that corporations can play in the next election.

Depending on the court's decision, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) might have to write new rules or guidance explaining what groups can do. According to Politico, political action committees (PAC)s, 527s, and 501(c)(4) organizations, "have begun formulating different sets of strategies for their 2010 election spending to reflect the wide range of possible outcomes in the pending case."

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