This week, the Los Angeles City Council became the first municipality to vote to end Corporate Personhood. The resolution, as backed by a group called, Move to Amend, is a localized attempt to try and overturn Citizens United, the controversial Supreme Court ruling which allowed corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money in elections.
Council President, Eric Garcetti, who introduced the bill said,
“Every struggle to amend the constitution began as just a group of regular Americans who wanted to end slavery, who thought women should vote, who believed that if you’re old enough to be drafted, you should be old enough to vote. These are how American amendments move forward from the grassroots when Americans say enough is enough.We’re very proud to come together and send a message but more than that, this becomes the official position of the City of Los Angeles, we will officially lobby for this. I also chair a group which oversees all the Democratic mayors and council members in the country and we’re going to share this with all our 3,000 members and we hope to see this start here in the west and sweep the nation until one day we do have a constitutional amendment which will return the power to the people.”
Move to Amend hopes to include their proposed Constitutional Amendment on every ballot across the country. A localized movement may seem inconsequential, especially when TV ads tend to be anything but local, but this vote was far from just symbolic. This proposed amendment is almost guaranteed to be challenged in the California Supreme Court, where it will likely be upheld. Once that happens, the US Supreme Court will get another crack at it. However, they will only overturn their original decision if there is a different makeup to the court.
It is imperative that even the most cynical among us help reelect President Obama. His Supreme Court nominations will hold the key to overturning Citizens United.
If the Supreme Court doesn’t overturn the ruling, a Constitutional Convention, which would require at least 34 states, might be the only real, although highly unlikely, option.
Senators Tom Udall of New Mexico and Michael Bennet of Colorado, both Democrats, have introduced legislation that would allow the States and Congress greater control in regulating campaign finance. However, with a Congress who is already in corporate pockets, it’s unlikely that strict regulations will pass.
pretty classic that in this article you’ve failed to mention obama has raised over $150 million for the re-election campaign. yes, some were from individuals, a lot from corporate entities and the rest were through highly connected “bundlers”. elect obama and his friends will end corporatism? i highly doubt it but its nonsense like this that the pea brains like to hear.
His two Supreme Court justices are against Citizens United. The President is against Citizens United. Of course he takes corporate money. Because of Citizens United, he has to.