County Sends Referendum Results to DC Delegation
The Dane County Board of Supervisors voted recently to notify its representatives in Congress the results of the Spring referendum which overwhelmingly indicated that residents of the County do not believe corporations are people and are not entitled to the same rights.
A June 2 vote authorized the County to send a letter to Senators Ron Johnson and Herb Kohl and Representative Tammy Baldwin with the results of the referendum, in which 78% of Dane County voters said that the U.S. Constitution should be amended to state that only human beings, not corporations, are entitled to constitutional rights. That letter was delivered on June 9.
The January 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission struck down certain provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign reform law, essentially holding that corporations had the same free speech rights as people and could therefore spend unlimited amounts of money to elect candidates for office that would favor their interests.
“The people have spoken,” said County Supervisor Pat Downing, who authored both the resolution authorizing the referendum and the resolution communicating the results. “The overwhelming majority clearly see that corporations aren’t people and that the Constitution should say so. Campaign spending regulations could then be enacted so that political committees, corporations, or other special interests that have invested in influencing the outcome of elections could be identified. An informed electorate will be able to evaluate the motives and credibility of those who attempt to influence the outcome of elections.”
In the wake of the Citizens decision, spending on electioneering nationally in 2010 doubled what was spent in the previous midterm election. “We’ve seen the effects of that decision firsthand,” said Downing. “Through the election last fall and the recalls this summer, unfettered money flowed into the state from anonymous corporatist groups. It’s not the Wisconsin way and it’s got to stop. We’ve sent the people’s message to our representatives, and now it’s their turn. If they truly represent us, they’ll start the process to amend our Constitution.”
The text of the message to Johnson, Kohl and Baldwin is below:
June 9, 2011
Senator Herb Kohl
Senator Ron Johnson
Representative Tammy Baldwin
Attached with this letter is a copy of Resolution 39, 11-12 – Urging Congress to Amend the Constitution Regarding Political Contributions. This action was adopted by the Dane County Board of Supervisors by a roll call vote on June 2, 2011.
We are providing this information to you so that you know the official position of Dane County with respect to this matter.
For more information, please contact the office of the County Board, (608) 266-5758.
Sincerely,
Scott McDonell, Chair
Dane County Board of Supervisors
RES. 39, 11-12
URGING CONGRESS TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION REGARDING POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case resulted in unfettered campaign contributions by corporations in recent elections. Voters in Dane County overwhelmingly support the idea that only human beings, not corporations, are entitled to constitutional rights, and that money is not speech, and therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting freedom of speech.
Seventy-eight percent of voters approved the following referendum question in the spring election:
“Should the United States Constitution be amended to establish that regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting freedom of speech, by stating that only human beings, not corporations, are entitled to constitutional rights?”
Based on this public sentiment, we urge Congress to take action to support a Constitutional Amendment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Dane County Board of Supervisors urges the United States Congress to the states for ratification an amendment to clarify that only human beings, not corporations, are entitled to constitutional rights such as the freedom of speech.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to Senators Kohl and Johnson, and to Representative Baldwin.
Adopted by the Dane County Board of Supervisors June 2, 2011.
Signed by the Dane County Executive June 6, 2011.
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