Kansas will be the first legal battleground in 2025 to decide whether the national trend of banning foreign money from bankrolling ballot measures is legal—a matter that could be on its way to the Supreme Court.
Democrat election lawyer Marc Elias’ firm is taking the lead in the litigation against the state bans on foreign money promoting state ballot initiatives, starting with Kansas.
The federal lawsuit could affect other states that have passed similar legislation. Just this week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, signed the sixth such ban. The previous week, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a ban, though one that proponents argued was watered down. Earlier this month, the legislatures in Missouri and Texas advanced similar bans.
Washington, D.C.-based Elias Law Group is representing the plaintiffs, Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, which…