New Jersey is 9th State to Oppose Citizen's United

New Jersey is the 9th state to pass a resolution in support of a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

The state Assembly voted 50–22 in favor, after being approved by the state Senate.

New Jersey joins California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Hawaii, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont in calling for the reversal of the 2010 US Supreme Court decision, which has opened the floodgates to unlimited, secret corporate money flowing into this year’s elections.

They are joined by over 300 cities and towns, 100 organizations representing 10 million members and over 1800 public officials. In July, almost 2 million (1,959,063) signatures were delivered to the Senate.

"We believe that in our democracy, the size of your wallet should not determine the volume of your voice. The US Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision says the more money you have to spend – as a wealthy individual or as a corporation – the more influence you should have in our elections," says advocacy group New Jersey PIRG.

Two profound examples of the impact in the current election cycle are the $600 million the Koch Brothers pledged to hoist President Obama out of the White House, and on a state level, $25 million from corporations to make sure California’s GMO labeling referendum (Proposition 37) doesn’t pass. 

Several Democratic Senators have introduced legislation seeking a constitutional amendment and the 78-member Congressional Progressive Caucus voted to support it.

Passing the Disclose Act would have helped alot, but Senate Republicans filibustered it. It would have required donors to disclose their names if they contribute more than $10,000.