Washington, D.C. — Today, New York became the latest front in a national fight to curb the influence of corporate money in politics. Assembly Member Micah Lasher and State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez have introduced a bill that would end corporate spending in election activity. If passed, the legislation would get around the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling, which allowed corporations to spend billions of dollars influencing elections.
This move follows a similar effort in Montana to limit the power of state corporations to spend money on politics through a proposed 2026 ballot measure. Both efforts are inspired by a novel legal strategy crafted by the Center for American Progress that argues states have the authority to define the powers of corporations and can redefine corporate charters to ban spending in elections.
In response, Tom Moore, senior fellow for Democracy Policy at CAP, issued the following statement:
New York defined American business, and now it’s defining the boundaries that will stop business from overrunning American politics. This bill sends a message that will be heard in legislatures far beyond Albany: Citizens United can be beaten by the people, using the tools the Constitution has always provided to us.
Read CAP’s breakthrough legal strategy to undo the harms of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].