Responding to a U.S. Appeals Court ruling that Arizona's "rescue money" provision in their clean elections law is unconstitutional, Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) said on Monday that New Jersey's clean election law is effectively dead. At least for now.

"In terms of enacting legislation to continue New Jersey's Clean Elections pilot program in 2009, the federal courts have imposed obstacles that are insurmountable given the time frame," said Roberts in a statement.

"Instead of rushing to find stop-gap solutions, Clean Elections simply needs a time-out."

The "rescue money" provision is a mechanism intended to allow clean elections candidates to respond to attacks from independent groups.

"Putting the program on hiatus next year will give Congress and the courts more time to sort out the many issues that have been raised and the ability to give states clear guidelines to follow," continued Roberts. "It is disappointing that an activist court half a continent away has thrown such a huge obstacle in the way of a good government ethics reform that was making real headway in changing politics in New Jersey for the better."Federal court effectively kills NJ clean elections