"Arizona is taking the concept of states being the laboratories of democracy very seriously on multiple fronts."

The National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle has a very interesting story on why so many upcoming Supreme Court cases originated in Arizona:

The three cases include challenges to Arizona's immigration requirements for employers, a state school choice program and the state's clean elections law. Also looming on the horizon is the Obama administration's challenge to the state's controversial law that gives police broad powers to stop those they suspect are in the country illegally….

"I think there are two explanations, and one is dominant," [Goldwater Institute Constitutional Litigation Director Clint] Bolick suggested for the influx of Arizona cases. "Arizona is taking the concept of states being the laboratories of democracy very seriously on multiple fronts.

"We have a legislature that is risk-taking and innovative. For conservatives in particular, the realm of the possible is greater in Arizona today than any other place." And, he added, when the Obama Administration is taking legal positions counter to conservative-libertarian beliefs, someone has to step forward to articulate those beliefs. "I think we're doing that in all sorts of ways."

Read the rest here.