We have a payday loan initiative on the ballot in AZ. Legal help needed!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

The initiative is bogus bullshit funded by the industry and disguised as "reform". It's running behind in the polls, despite a barrage of misleading TV ads by the pro side. As a last ditch effort, the largest payday loan chain (and possibly others) will be closing their doors during voting hours and sending their employees to electioneer for the initiative at the polls. The employees will be acting like volunteers, but will be paid. Is this legal? Could it be construed as an unauthorized contribution, or possibly coersion? I know that laws vary from state to state but I can't see how this would be legal anywhere. It smacks of when companies like the Outback restaurants got in trouble for forcing their employees to donate to their PAC.

[Gman]

1. Sounds like a corporate contribution

but I'm not sure of the legalities when it comes to a referendum.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

4. Corporate contributions to a referendum are legal here

That's why the PAC funding the initiative is mostly payday loan companies. They've pumped - I swear to god - over $30 million into this effort. I'm thinking that having your employees campaign for it while on the clock might be coercion and their participation itself could be construed as an illegal contribution. They're not campaign staff, after all.

[aikoaiko]

2. As long as they don't campaign within a certain distance of the polls, it should be ok

but I'm not sure about AZ laws.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. It's not the electioneering at the polls I'm concerned with

It's having employees do it while on the clock.

[aikoaiko]

5. I'd be surprised if it illegal, but I'm no expert.

[Bozita]

6. Sounds to me like an "in kind" contribution.

Definition

An in-kind contribution is a non-cash input which can be given a cash value.

Examples

Here are some examples of in-kind contributions:


A local community “loans” a school or a church to a literacy program for classroom space.
A government agency donates some paper to print books.
A consultant donates his time to your program.
A taxi company donates the use of its taxis at no cost or at a cost below market.

http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/literacy/ReferenceMaterials/GlossaryOfLiteracyTerms/WhatIsAnInKindContribution.htm