Introduced Version
House Resolution 9 History
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HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 9
(By Delegates Poore, Marshall, Guthrie, Walker and Moore)
Calling upon the United States Congress to propose a constitutional
amendment overturning the United States Supreme Court's
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling and
related cases.
Whereas, In 2010, the United States Supreme Court issued its
ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that
enabled corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money
to influence the outcome of our elections; and
Whereas, A subsequent ruling Speechnow.org v. Federal Election
Commission, opened the door for individual donors to spend
unlimited amounts as well; and
Whereas, The use of so-called Super PACs by wealthy individuals
and special interests nationally has driven up the cost of
elections to over $6 billion in the federal elections alone and
reduced local voices in the democratic process; and
Whereas, In 2012, based upon Citizens United, the U.S. Supreme
Court struck down a century old long-standing Montana campaign
finance law, denying states the right to regulate their elections
in accordance with their experience of the corrupting influence of money in politics; and
Whereas, The people of West Virginia and all other states
should have the power to limit by law the influence of money in
their political systems; and
Whereas, On Election Day, 2012, over six million voters across
the United States had the opportunity to vote on state and local
ballot measures, including the states of Montana and Colorado,
calling for a constitutional amendment to limit money in politics,
including the entire states of Montana and Colorado, and all
proposed resolutions passed with overwhelming and bipartisan
support, averaging seventy-five percent of voters in favor;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That the West Virginia House of Delegates supports an
amendment to the United States Constitution to establish that
corporations are not entitled to the same rights and protection as
natural persons under the Constitution; and, be it
Further Resolved, That such an amendment should assure the
power of the federal, state, and local governments to limit,
regulate, and require disclosure of sources of all money spent to
influence elections; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the West Virginia House of Delegates
requests that the West Virginia Congressional Delegation support
such an amendment, work diligently towards its passage, and vote at all stages to advance such legislation in the Congress; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the West Virginia House of
Delegates deliver a copy of this resolution to the Vice President
of the United States and the President pro tempore of the United
States Senate, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to
the Majority and Minority Leaders of both Houses of Congress, and
to each United States Senator and Member of the House of
Representatives from West Virginia.