Two news items in the Portland Press Herald, our local newspaper in southern Maine. The Portland City Council has joined the ranks of other local governments to condemn “corporate personhood” and encourage our congressional delegates to support a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision. It’s interesting to see these efforts come up at the local level, driven by local citizens’ concern about corporate power in elections. I look forward to seeing how the Maine delegation responds.
Also, a national op-ed piece appeared in the local paper today: “Citizens United Imperils Legitimate Elections.” Two years after the Supreme Court decision, it remains newsworthy — and more importantly, people are still talking about in their own communities. And it probably won’t go away anytime soon. We’re seeing the impact of corporate money already this year and we’ve got months to go before the election. Looking ahead, I’ll be curious to hear conversations about Citizens United and corporate personhood once the elections are over. Will it fuel further citizen and voter action regarding corporate influence in our political process? Stay tuned…
