Washington, D.C. — Today, Georgia became the latest front in a national fight to curb the influence of corporate money in politics. Georgia State Sen. Nabilah Parkes (D) introduced a bill that would end corporate spending in the state’s politics. If passed, the legislation would undo the impact of 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 at least seven other states—including California, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont—to no longer grant corporations the power to spend on politics, either through legislation or proposed ballot measure. These 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 so they no longer grant political spending powers.
In response, Tom Moore, senior fellow for Democracy Policy at CAP and the author of the strategy, issued the following statement:
The movement to eliminate corporate and dark money from politics is gaining traction around the country. This bill sends a message that will be heard in legislatures far beyond Georgia: 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].