Wisconsin United To Amend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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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Never before in the history of the United States has our system been so openly corrupted by big money. Our democracy has been overtaken by monied interests who have bought favor with politicians, putting up huge roadblocks to any legislation that benefits average Americans. But all over the country people are fighting back and demanding change.

Now is the time to take our government back!

• Over 80% of Americans support a constitutional amendment.
• Over 140 groups are working to GET THE MONEY OUT of politics.
• 16 states and almost 600 cities have called for a constitutional amendment.
• The 113th Congress proposed 14 amendments.
• Over 150 members of Congress support a constitutional amendment.

Please join us on Saturday, Sept 6, when the “28th Amendment National Roadshow” comes to the Marquee Theater at Union South on the UW Madison campus (map). This event is being organized by the national Money Out, Voters In (MOVI) organization, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Money Out Voters In Coalition.

At the roadshow, amendment movement leaders and money in politics experts will lead a discussion on the need for a constitutional amendment to abolish corporate personhood, end the notion that money is speech and discuss how we can move forward from here.

A $5 donation is requested to participate in the conference. Click here to RSVP now!

The “National Roadshow” is endorsed by Move To Amend and other groups that are working across the country to pass an amendment.

The conference will be taking place Saturday, Sept 6 from 10AM-1PM, and includes a free screening of PAY 2 PLAY: DEMOCRACY’S HIGH STAKES at 2PM.

The day is scheduled so that people can come for the morning session, the afternoon session, or for a full day. Click here for more information and to RSVP! This will be major event with a full day of speakers and opportunities to network amongst activists who care about this issue.

We hope to see you there!

SJR19 is a weak half measure! We need to abolish corporate constitutional rights. This is an historic opportunity to repair our Constitution and we will only have one chance to get it right. The Constitution originally established the hierarchy: We the People –> Government –> Corporations. What we have now is Corporations –> Government –> We the People. It’s no wonder everyone hates the government and thinks the country is on the wrong track. We have nothing against corporations, but with the help of the Supreme Court, the financial elites and the huge transnational corporations have taken control of our country. Not only do they control the purse strings for most of our politicians, they are using their rights as “people” to:

• Refuse disclosure of what’s in their products.
• Freely advertise harmful products.
• Pollute our air and water while avoiding government inspections.
• Force chain stores into locations where communities don’t want them.
• Avoid subpoenas for price fixing or unlawful trade.
• Refuse birth-control to employees, based on the company’s religious rights.

Corporations are supposed to have privileges, not human rights. The legal framework for this still exists, so abolishing corporate constitutional rights would not be a difficult transition. For more background on these topics, please read:

• Why Abolish All Corporate Constitutional Rights
• The Abolition of Corporate Right would go too far
• Court Chronology

SJR19 makes a weak attempt to address the campaign finance aspects of today’s problems, but we need to put our Constitution back to what our Founder’s intended. Fortunately, on June 18th, another step in the right direction was taken by a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here is the improved language. But it still falls short of what is needed. Move To Amend cannot support an amendment that doesn’t end corporate constitutional rights and makes explicit that money is not speech. This proposed language permits regulation of these issues but doesn’t require it.

We would like to see the Senate adopt more definitive language, like that found in the Move To Amend “We the People” amendment, HJR29, which was introduced last year in the House by Mark Pocan and Rick Nolan. In addition, we would like the Senate to introduce our HJR29 amendment into the next session of Congress.