Democracy for Massachusetts, Not Corporations

 

In March 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in SpeechNow.org v. FEC opened the door to super PACs by holding that the federal law limiting contributions to political committees to $5,000 per person each year could not be applied to a political committee that promised to make only “independent expenditures.” Alongside the rise of super PACs, the nation has also witnessed money from corporations with significant foreign ownership flowing into our elections as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United, which swept away longstanding precedent barring corporate money in our political process. For example, Amazon, which is more than 5% foreign-owned, spent over $1.5 million to try to influence the outcome of the 2019 Seattle City Council elections. That amount was more than the combined total amount of money raised by candidates not supported by Amazon. It led the Seattle City Council to pass our model law banning foreign-influenced corporate spending in elections. Now Massachusetts has a chance to pass statewide laws to ban foreign-influenced corporate spending in our elections and abolish super PAC spending. S.454 and S.455, introduced by Senator Jo Comerford, and H.839 and H.840, introduced by Representative Erika Uyterhoeven, can help Bay Staters reclaim our democracy and lead the national movement for campaign finance reform. Both bills have been referred to the Joint Committee on Election Laws, and will be considered at a virtual hearing on Wednesday, September 15. To pass these bills, our legislators need to hear from us. Will you testify in support of these model bills? Register to submit written and/or video testimony by Monday, September 13 at 5 pm to show your support for S.454, S.455, H.839, and H.840! When you register, check the boxes for S.454, S.455, H. 839, and H840. If you choose to submit video testimony, you’ll have up to 3 minutes to make your statement at this virtual hearing. You could also check the boxes for H.772, introduced by Representative Michael Day, a companion bill that would also abolish super PACs, and for S.482, introduced by Senator Mark Montigny, a companion bill that would also prohibit foreign influenced-corporate spending in elections. Click here to view talking points to guide your testimony. Free Speech For People is proud to have helped to draft and to support this legislation. With your help, we can reclaim a democracy by and for the people of Massachusetts. Submit testimony by September 13 to support the end of corporate dominance in our elections. In solidarity, Alexandra Flores-Quilty Campaign Director, Free Speech For People Paid for by Free Speech For People contact@freespeechforpeople.org