Essex County Group Wants To Overturn ‘Citizens United,’ Battle Corporations

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Do you think the “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision is hurting American citizens? Then help these Essex County activists battle the landmark corporate rights case by supporting a new grassroots advocacy group in Essex County.

On Saturday, June 17, at 1 p.m., American Promise will officially launch its first American Promise Association in Montclair at the Montclair Cooperative School Gym.

According to a news release from the group, Joyce Sanchez, citizen engagement coordinator at American Promise, will be hosting the launch and training new members during the public June 17 forum. Topics will include familiarizing attendees on “why we need to get money out of politics,” educating attendees on a proposed “28th Amendment and the Citizens United Supreme Court decision,” and training attendees on “how to be an effective advocate for a 28th Amendment” that would overturn the 2010 Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission decision.

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“It is important to overturn Citizens United so that we can elect candidates that are not financed by large corporations and therefore in debt to them,” said Ellen Schwartz, a Montclair resident and member of American Promise, Blue Wave NJ, Essex Rising, Indivisible and ACLU People Power.

“Money does not equal speech and corporations do not equal people,” Schwartz charged. “New Jersey has the potential to lead this movement because it is a blue state likely to gather support around this issue. Montclair [and Essex County] in particular have potential because they're communities looking to get independent candidates elected who are not backed by big corporate financing.”

Citizens wanting to attend the training can RSVP here: Montclair, NJ APA Launch

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