1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to introduce legislation similar to Hawaii Senate Bill 2471, which would limit corporate spending in California elections by clarifying that corporations only have powers the state grants them. Hawaii's approach is brilliant because it works around Citizens United rather than challenging it head-on. The bill recognizes that corporations are artificial persons created by state law, and California can simply decline to grant them the power to spend on elections. Individual citizens would retain full rights to donate as real people, just not through corporate entities. This could shut down super PACs' ability to raise unlimited money while keeping donors secret. The numbers prove we need this. Super PACs spent $2.7 billion nationally in 2024 alone, drowning out ordinary voters. Hawaii's bill passed the Senate unanimously and has progressed further than similar legislation introduced in 13 other states, including California's earlier attempt. Tom Moore, a former Federal Election Commission official, testified that this approach "makes Citizens United irrelevant." California should lead on this issue, not follow. Even if the bill faces legal challenges, passing it would send a powerful message that we're pushing back against dark money corrupting our democracy. Introduce this legislation now.