To: IDAHO CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
AN IDAHO PETITION CALLING FOR AN UNITED STATES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN CORPORATE MONEY IN...
We, the undersigned residents of Idaho, reject the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United and move to amend our Constitution to firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights. We call upon our elected Congressional Representatives to support a proposed 28th amendment to the Constitution as follows:
Section 1 [A corporation is not a person and can be regulated]
The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities, established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.
Section 2 [Money is not speech and can be regulated]
Federal, State and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a candidate’s own contributions and expenditures, for the purpose of influencing in any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure. Federal, State and local government shall require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.
Section 3
Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.
Section 1 [A corporation is not a person and can be regulated]
The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities, established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.
Section 2 [Money is not speech and can be regulated]
Federal, State and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a candidate’s own contributions and expenditures, for the purpose of influencing in any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure. Federal, State and local government shall require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.
Section 3
Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.
Why is this important?
On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run our government. Human beings are people; corporations are legal fictions.
We, the Citizens of Idaho, reject the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United, and ask our Congressional Representatives to amend our Constitution to:
~ Firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.
~ Guarantee the right to vote and to participate, and to have our vote and participation count.
The Supreme Court is misguided in principle, and wrong on the law. In a democracy, the people rule. We ask our Idaho Congressional Representatives to support a constitutional amendment that reverses the damage of the Citizen United Supreme Court case.
We, the Citizens of Idaho, reject the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United, and ask our Congressional Representatives to amend our Constitution to:
~ Firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.
~ Guarantee the right to vote and to participate, and to have our vote and participation count.
The Supreme Court is misguided in principle, and wrong on the law. In a democracy, the people rule. We ask our Idaho Congressional Representatives to support a constitutional amendment that reverses the damage of the Citizen United Supreme Court case.