BALLOT ITEM FOR MARCH TOWN MEETING
In light of the United States Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that equates money with speech and gives corporations rights constitutionally intended for natural persons, shall the city/town/gore of___________________________________ (municipality name) vote on ___________________(town meeting date) to urge the Vermont Congressional Delegation and the U.S. Congress to propose a U.S. Constitutional amendment for the States’ consideration which provides that money is not speech, and that corporations are not persons under the U.S. Constitution, that the General Assembly of the State of Vermont pass a similar resolution, and that the town send its resolution to Vermont State and Federal representatives within thirty days of passage of this measure?
Any Constitutional Amendment must be carefully written to avoid unintended consequences. I have no real problem with the petition, which doesn’t actually propose wording for the Amendment. The only change I would propose, which is more wordsmithing than substantive, is that the term “person” has come to mean “legal entitty,” not “natural person” or “individual” which are terms for those of us who have flesh, blood, and consciences. So, I would add “natural” before the word “persons” in the above. “. … that corporations are not natural persons under the United States Constitution. . .”
Here’s my first stab at language for the actual amendment. First draft:
“The rights of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment may be reasonably regulated with regard to persons other than individuals, so long as such regulation is viewpoint neutral.”
We do not want an amendment that would allow Congress to eliminate spending of political speech. The state and the incumbents would benefit from eliminating the right to spend money. We want it reasonably regulated.
Barry Kade
The petition simply indicates the desire to make the Constitutional language clear, that equal rights of the 14th amendment are guaranteed to all “natural” persons. It also excludes money from consideration as “free speech”, (as it is property) You inherit money and other property; you do not inherit your parent’s speech, for instance.
So yes, this petition seems to be quite to the point. It give encouragement to our National delegation.