Give Wisconsin voters a say on Citizens United

It was supposed to be an effort to shore up confidence in America’s political system by keeping big money out of politics. But thanks to a ruling by the Supreme Court, the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act didn’t have the intended results. Instead, the court’s ruling in the case of what is known as Citizens United, has opened the floodgates to political donations. The courts ruled that political donations are a form of free speech, essentially equating individuals with corporations when it comes to political donations. Much of the campaign spending has come from the wealthy and big corporations, donations which are typically harder to track. In the wake of the Citizens United ruling, in the 2018 midterm elections, outside groups spent $61 million. That is more than was spent in the 2010 and 2014 elections combined. Many are upset by the inpouring of big money into the campaigns, and are pushing a constitutional amendment that makes clear that corporations don’t have the same right as individuals. A number of communities in Wisconsin agree. 144 Wisconsin communities have passed advisory referendums, seeking to overturn the Citizens United decision. Now, two Wisconsin lawmakers are hoping to make this a statewide effort, seeking to place the question on the 2020 statewide ballot. It will be a tough sell, but it would be a good idea. People are fed up with the corrupting influence of special interest money in our elections. It is not too much to ask to give those people a voice to say so.