Litigation

Citizens United: What?s Next?

By Peter Hardin

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s sweeping Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling, leading congressional Democrats were preparing legislation to put new limits on corporate political spending.  But it was unclear whether any legislation would gain support quickly enough to affect the mid-term elections this fall.

Among legislative proposals is barring corporations from running political ads if they get government funds, employ lobbyists or draw most of their income overseas. Another proposal would involve more rigorous rules against coordination between campaigns and outside groups. Still other proposals would require shareholders to approve political expenditures; and establish public financing for congressional elections.

Some Republican lawmakers have urged removing limits on political parties’ and candidates’ fundraising, noted an article in the New York Times, which offered one of the best discussions of potential legislation. As for a possible constitutional amendment, election law expert Rick Hasen replied in Huffington Post, “Are you kidding?…Not in my lifetime.” Other sources for information about legislative responses were The Hill newspaper and the Los Angeles Times.

Reports  on the decision’s impact for individual states were available from the Los Angeles Times, the Wisconsin State Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the Associated Press. Check out earlier Gavel Grab posts to learn about the monumental campaign finance decision.

Full post as published by The Gavel on January 22, 2010 (boomark / email).