Dear Friend,
Your actions are working! Just this week Senate President Therese Murray announced her support for S772, a resolution in response to Citizens United, calling on the US Congress to ratify an amendment restoring the first amendment and fair elections to the people.
Read about it below.
This is just the kind of momentum we need going into the Judiciary Committee Hearing coming up on February 28th.
Thank you!
- Avi
Avi Green
MassVOTE
P.S. Have your friends signed the petition asking the Massachusetts Legislature to pass a resolution calling upon Congress to pass a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United? Ask them to sign here: http://action.massvote.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9251
SENATE PREZ DESCRIBES SUPER-PACS AS DESTRUCTIVE FORCE
By Kyle Cheney
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 31, 2012…..Senate President Therese Murray said Tuesday that she would urge Congress to amend the U.S. Constitution to diminish the influence of corporate spending in elections, arguing the advent of so-called Super PACs is “destroying the civility of the political process.”
“It’s pretty scary,” she said, noting that Super PACs – shadowy, often corporate-backed entities that have plowed tens of millions of dollars into early presidential primary states – had pumped $15 million into attack ads in Florida, which is holding its primary Tuesday. “It’s too much money, and who are the people behind this, and what are the reasoning and why are they giving money? It’s pretty scary.”
Super PACs emerged in the aftermath of a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, known as Citizens United, in which the court ruled by a 5-4 majority that corporations and organized labor could spend unlimited amounts to influence elections in the form of independent expenditures, which aren’t directly affiliated with candidates or campaigns.
“The Government may regulate corporate political speech through disclaimer and disclosure requirements, but it may not suppress that speech altogether,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote.
During a morning radio appearance, Murray voiced her support for a constitutional amendment to undo the impact of Citizens United, saying she would support a resolution pending in the state Legislature that would memorialize Congress to act. Her public support for that resolution caught its lead sponsor, Sen. James Eldridge, off-guard, although the Acton Democrat welcomed the news.
“That’s wonderful … that’s great news,” he said. “I have talked to her a number of times and she has expressed a real concern over the Citizens United decision. I have been working with the Election Laws Committee for disclosure requirements on the state level. I’ve appreciated her support this session on that issue … I literally haven’t talked to a single legislator who opposes it. The challenge, as with many resolutions, is getting it prioritized.”
The resolution is pending in the Committee on the Judiciary, which plans a hearing on it Feb. 28.
http://www.statehousenews.com/
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