WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Two controversial election cases, one involving Vermont's limits on campaign spending and the other Texas redistricting, are at the U.S. Supreme Court.
The high court hears arguments on both this week, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In the Vermont case, the court reconsiders its 30-year-old Buckley vs. Valeo decision, which found that states could cap contributions but could not limit how much candidates spend on their own campaigns. The ruling has spawned a new breed of rich politicians who finance their own runs for office, including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, a billionaire Democrat who spent $40 million to defeat a millionaire Republican.
The Vermont law sets low limits on both contributions and on campaign spending, with legislative candidates restricted to $4,000 and candidates for governor to $300,000. Republicans say it is an unconstitutional restriction of free speech.
In the Texas case, Democrats are challenging new congressional districts. The redistricting was orchestrated by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay after the Republican Party gained control of the state Legislature.
