Protesters rallying in Indianapolis Friday called for a constitutional amendment to undo the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, citing the increase in political spending the decision has brought.
The Court’s Citizens United decision allows unlimited political contributions from corporations. The Court’s ruling played a significant role in Indiana’s 2012 U.S. Senate race between Joe Donnelly and Richard Mourdock. Millions of dollars poured into the state and dozens of ads filled the airwaves, supporting and opposing both candidates.
Robert Pederson with the Indiana Alliance for Democracy says Hoosiers need to help generate support for a constitutional amendment.
“Saying that corporations are not persons with constitutional rights and that money spent in politics is not speech and should be limited.”
Jim Allison is with the group South-Central Indiana Move to Amend, an organization that got the Monroe County Commissioners and Bloomington City Council to approve resolutions calling for such an anti-Citizens United amendment. He says he wants to help similar movements grow across the state.
“So our ultimate goal is to indicate to the state legislature here widespread public support in the state of Indiana for this.”
Protesters in the state capital marking the third anniversary of the Citizens United decision held signs with messages such as “I’ll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one of them.”
