To: California Democratic Party Resolutions Committee
Force Corporations to Stop Buying Elections!
RESOLUTION TO OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED CORPORATE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS
Whereas the California Democratic Party passed a resolution calling on Congress to use all its means to reform federal campaign laws to establish reasonable spending limits and reporting requirements for all contributors, and to initiate a constitutional amendment process which would result in placing appropriate limits on corporate influence over election outcomes; and
Whereas the legislatures of California and 10 other states have gone on record supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and voters in San Francisco and Richmond have passed ballot measures explicitly instructing Congress to initiate such an amendment as have voters in Montana, Colorado, and 170 municipalities across the country; with Los Angeles to vote on similar instructions on May 21 of this year; and,
Whereas, despite heroic efforts by Senate and Congressional Democrats to enact effective controls over campaign spending, Republican lawmakers continue to thwart these efforts, and the Supreme Court radically rejected well-settled law in its Citizens United v. FEC case, opening the floodgates to a massive spending spree by corporations and other non-natural persons;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party calls upon the Congress to send to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United vs FEC corporate First Amendment rights, clarifying that constitutional rights are for natural persons only, and leveling the playing field through limits on the ability of corporations and other wealthy interests to influence the outcome of elections through political campaign contributions and expenditures; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution be transmitted to all members of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation.
Whereas the California Democratic Party passed a resolution calling on Congress to use all its means to reform federal campaign laws to establish reasonable spending limits and reporting requirements for all contributors, and to initiate a constitutional amendment process which would result in placing appropriate limits on corporate influence over election outcomes; and
Whereas the legislatures of California and 10 other states have gone on record supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and voters in San Francisco and Richmond have passed ballot measures explicitly instructing Congress to initiate such an amendment as have voters in Montana, Colorado, and 170 municipalities across the country; with Los Angeles to vote on similar instructions on May 21 of this year; and,
Whereas, despite heroic efforts by Senate and Congressional Democrats to enact effective controls over campaign spending, Republican lawmakers continue to thwart these efforts, and the Supreme Court radically rejected well-settled law in its Citizens United v. FEC case, opening the floodgates to a massive spending spree by corporations and other non-natural persons;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party calls upon the Congress to send to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United vs FEC corporate First Amendment rights, clarifying that constitutional rights are for natural persons only, and leveling the playing field through limits on the ability of corporations and other wealthy interests to influence the outcome of elections through political campaign contributions and expenditures; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution be transmitted to all members of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation.
Why is this important?
People who care about democracy across the country are uniting to overturn the Supreme Court's decision that gives corporations the right to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections. The amazing coalition Money Out Voters In and Common Cause helped write this Resolution, which goes to the CA Democratic Party Resolutions Committee -- and the Party itself -- at the CDP convention next week. Sign this petition to urge the committee and the party to show their support for getting big corporate money out of elections.