A Dozen Communities to Vote on a U.S. Constitutional Amendment Question
Contact: George Penn, 608-244-6436, geo_penn@charter.net
A Dozen Communities to Vote on a U.S. Constitutional Amendment Question
Madison, WI (October 27, 2014) – On Tuesday, November 4th, Wisconsin residents in twelve communities will vote on whether to amend the U.S. Constitution to make clear that: a corporation is not a person, and money is not speech.
Voters will cast ballots in Milwaukee County, Dunn County, Green Bay, Appleton, Fond du Lac, Neenah, Menasha, Ripon, Stoughton, Oregon, Wausau and the Village of Park Ridge. If all vote in favor, this will bring to 54 the number of Wisconsin communities that have called for an amendment. Nationwide, 16 state legislatures have done likewise, as have almost 600 towns, villages, cities, counties and organizations.
The language of the proposed amendment would reverse Citizens United, the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling. “The Supreme Court changed the meaning of the 1st Amendment, and we want it changed back,” said Mary Laan, the Move To Amend leader in Milwaukee County.
“People don’t feel like they’re being represented anymore,” said Rita Pachal, a resident of Wausau. “And, in fact, they’re not. It’s all about the money now.”
Polls consistently show widespread disapproval of Citizens United among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. State Senator Dale Schultz, summed it up this way. “We’re talking about billionaires turning this country into a Russian-style oligarchy, where there are two dozen billionaires who buy the whole political process… we are awash in money because of Citizens United, and it puts good people in both parties in a difficult situation.”
However, the roots of the problem run deeper than Citizens United. Over a century ago Robert M. La Follette spoke out against corruption wrought by the “concessions and privileges” accorded to corporations by legislators. “Why,” he asked, “in a government where the people are sovereign, why are these things tolerated?”
Wisconsin United To Amend is a non-partisan, grassroots movement. For more information: https://wiuta.org/
Wisconsin United To Amend Background Information:
https://wiuta.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/WIUTA-Community-Handout.pdf
https://wiuta.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Citizen-Lobbying-1-pager.pdf
Photos:
https://wiuta.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Milwaukee3.jpg
https://wiuta.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Madison4.jpg
https://wiuta.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Wausau-Petition-Signer.jpg
https://wiuta.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Wausau-MTA.jpg
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