MA Group Wants U.S. Constitution Amended To Cut Campaign Spending

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A state commission charged with studying campaign finance reform released a new report this week advocating for the U.S. Constitution to be amended to prevent corporations from spending unlimited amounts of money on political causes.

The Massachusetts Citizens Commission was created after a 2018 ballot question as a response to the U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United decision, which allowed corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money in elections — effectively granting corporations free speech rights under the Constitution.

This week's Citizens Commission report advocates for two new Constitutional amendments. One would allow states and Congress to restrict or bar corporate spending in elections. The second would clarify that the Constitution only applies to "natural persons," not corporations.

The Commission's previous report, released in December, detailed how the Citizens United decision has harmed democracy by equating cash with free speech. That report highlighted how much spending has increased in Massachusetts elections since Citizens United — $700 million has been spent since the 2010 decision compared to $200 million in the decade before it.

Amending the U.S. Constitution is politically difficult, and so the Citizens Commission is also recommending a strategy to get one passed. The most recent 27th Amendment passed in 1992 and limits when salaries for elected representatives can be changed. It was first proposed in 1789.

The most common way to amend the Constitution is with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress.

The first step of the strategy calls for support of a bill in the state House — co-sponsored by state Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury), who is also a member of the Commission — that asks Congress to convene a constitutional convention. The Commission also wants to create a successor to carry on the work of pushing for the amendments.

This week's report has also been handed over to Gov. Charlie Baker, state Sen. President Spilka (D-Framingham), Attorney General Maura Healey, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin and House Speaker Robert DeLeo for review.

The Commission's recommendations were released on Sept. 17 to coincide with the day in 1787 when the Constitution was signed by the Founding Fathers.

"I can think of no better way to celebrate Constitution Day this year than by taking the next steps necessary to strengthen our Constitution and to rescue American democracy from the stranglehold of corporate money," Commission co-chair Costas Panagopoulos said in a news release.

The Massachusetts Citizens Commission includes 20 members from across the state, including former Framingham School Committee member Noval Alexander. You can read the full report on amending the constitution here.