It’s time for our state to reclaim control over our democracy. In 2010, the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate spending in elections. That ruling stripped ordinary citizens of equal voice in our political process — but it did not take away the state’s authority to define what powers corporations may have.
Montana’s “Transparent Elections Initiative,” known as the Montana Plan, offers a model worth following. By amending its state constitution and corporate charter laws, Montana is asserting that corporations — as artificial entities created by the state — should not have the power to spend money or anything of value to influence elections or ballot measures. This approach doesn’t depend on federal action or Supreme Court reversal; it uses state sovereignty to restore integrity to elections from the ground up.
Our legislature can do the same. States have always held the power to define the privileges and limits of corporate charters. We can—and must—use that authority to protect citizens’ voices from being drowned out by moneyed interests.
Please take steps to draft and introduce legislation modeled on Montana’s plan. Hold public hearings, invite expert testimony, and show that our state stands for fair elections and the principle that democracy is not for sale.
Thank you for your service and for defending the people’s voice in government.
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