The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut filed a lawsuit on July 6 challenging Connecticut's campaign finance reform law. The main targets of the lawsuit are the law's prohibitions on lobbyist contributions and its handling of third party candidates. The Green and Libertarian parties, along with a lobbyist, are also plaintiffs in the suit.

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Elections Enforcement Commission Executive Director Jeffrey Garfield will defend the state against the lawsuit. In the Stamford Advocate, Garfield said, "We look forward to the court's vindication of the strong public policy that these laws carry forward." Blumenthal is also confident that the law is constitutional because minor parties may receive public financing if they meet the same threshold requirements as the major parties. If they have the support to be competitive, then they will have access to public financing.

In December, Connecticut's campaign finance reform law was passed in a special legislative session. It was then amended on May 3 to lower requirements for third-party candidates to qualify for public financing. The law will not begin implementation until the 2008 state legislative elections.

This suit aims to assault the whole campaign finance reform act, rather than merely block the provisions to which the plaintiff's object. The grassroots efforts of Common Cause Connecticut and Common Cause volunteers were vital in getting this breakthrough legislation passed, and hopefully the federal court will reward this great effort to make legislators accountable to Connecticut voters.