HR8 (2011) Detail

Urging the New Hampshire congressional delegation to sponsor and support a constitutional amendment to re-establish the authority of the states and Congress to regulate campaign spending by corporations.


HR 8 – AS INTRODUCED

2011 SESSION

11-0917

03/09

HOUSE RESOLUTION 8

A RESOLUTION urging the New Hampshire congressional delegation to sponsor and support a constitutional amendment to re-establish the authority of the states and Congress to regulate campaign spending by corporations.

SPONSORS: Rep. Pierce, Graf 9; Rep. G. Richardson, Merr 4

COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs

ANALYSIS

This resolution urges the New Hampshire congressional delegation to sponsor and support a constitutional amendment to re-establish the authority of the states and Congress to regulate campaign spending by corporations.

11-0917

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eleven

A RESOLUTION urging the New Hampshire congressional delegation to sponsor and support a constitutional amendment to re-establish the authority of the states and Congress to regulate campaign spending by corporations.

Whereas, the authors of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution designed it to protect the free speech rights of people, not corporations; and

Whereas, the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission overturned longstanding precedent prohibiting corporations from spending their general treasury funds in our elections; and

Whereas, the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission has unleashed a torrent of corporate money into our political process that presents a serious and direct threat to our democracy by drowning out the voices of ordinary citizens; and

Whereas, the people of the United States have previously used the constitutional amendment process to correct egregiously wrong decisions on the part of the United States Supreme Court that threaten our democracy and self-government; and

Whereas, there is growing awareness in Congress of the urgent need to address the harm to our representative democracy of the Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission decision via amendment to the U.S. Constitution; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the New Hampshire house of representatives hereby urges the New Hampshire congressional delegation to sponsor and support an amendment to the United States Constitution to re-establish the authority of the states and Congress to regulate campaign spending by corporations, in the following form:

“The sovereign right of the people to govern and hold free elections being essential to a free democracy, the right of the people to cast an educated ballot shall not be abridged. Nothing in this constitution shall be construed to limit the authority of Congress or the States to regulate, with regard to the impact on any political campaign or campaign for election for public office, the spending and activities of any entity created by State or Federal law or the law of another nation. Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to abridge the freedom of the press;” and

That copies of this resolution be transmitted by the house clerk to each member of the New Hampshire congressional delegation.