The Salins Resolution to overturn Citizens United makes headway

Below is the text of a resolution signed by 60 Washington State legislators, plus 8 candidates. The letter calls on the US Congress to end corporate personhood and to overturn Citizens United. As reported by Dorothy Van Soest (Chair, State Legislative Resolution Planning Committee, SLRPC), “The total of 68 signatures you’ve gathered represents 27 of the 49 legislative districts in the state. The signed letters will be delivered to D.C. the beginning of December.”

At the end of this article is the list of signers of the resolution, as well as a list of legislators who have not yet signed. Please thank the legislators who have signed and please contact the ones who haven’t signed and ask them to sign.

This initiative is largely the work of Washington Public Campaigns, whose director, Craig Salins, recently passed away unexpectedly. In his honor, I suggested calling the resolution “The Salins Resolution”.

TO THE HONORABLE BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

As members of the Washington State Legislature, we seek to nurture and expand democracy in our state and in our nation. Free and fair elections are essential to American democracy and effective self-governance. The granting of constitutional protections to non-natural corporate ÎéÎípersonsÎéÎí threatens the rights of living, breathing persons to have their voices heard. Corporations should not have a constitutionally protected right to donate unregulated amounts of money to campaigns.

Corporations are legal entities separate and apart from human beings. They can and should be given specific legal rights by Federal, State, and local law, but not the rights of natural, living, breathing persons which are enumerated in the Constitution.

In light of these facts, we, the undersigned members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, respectfully urge Congress to prepare and send to the states for adoption, a Constitutional amendment that in effect reverses the 2010 Supreme CourtÎéÎ÷s Citizens United decision by clarifying that:

1. Only human beings, not corporations, are persons under the United States Constitution.

2. Money is not speech and the donation of money to a political campaign is not a form of constitutionally protected speech. Therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech.

Yours Respectfully,

__________________________________
Signature

Legislative District _______, State of Washington

Date Signed ______________________________________

______________________________
Print name

Washington State Legislative Resolution Calling on U.S. Congress to pass a constitutional amendment to
overturn Citizens United & end corporate personhood

UPDATE BY LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS: November 1, 2012