Friend,

Our strategy to win the amendment based on state-by-state victories is working. People across the nation and across the political spectrum are fired up about ending corruption and pay-to-play politics, and we’re seeing the momentum build in towns, cities, states and in Congress.

Last month New Hampshire became the 20th state to call for the amendment thanks to citizen leaders whose cross-partisan action is a model for organizing in states that have not yet called for the amendment. While passing an amendment to the Constitution may seem daunting, passing local resolutions is achievable—citizen leaders all over America are doing it, and they’re sharing their tips and lessons with anyone who wants to get involved.

In Minnesota, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other states across the nation, American Promise citizen leaders are laying the groundwork for the statewide victories that will build the momentum to get the 28th Amendment ratified. If you believe your local, state and national government should listen to you—not ultra-wealthy donors, special interests or corporations—this is your fight.

Onward!

From the Portsmouth Herald: Members and supporters of the NH Rebellion gathered recently for a 20th anniversary walk in support of campaign finance reform. Among those participating was Democratic presidential hopeful Kirsten Gillibrand, who shared her thoughts about big money in politics later at a town hall meeting. “With the big money in Washington, with the special interests, we are never going to fix any of our issues,” Gillibrand said. “Remove that and we can fix everything.” Read more.

From Free Speech for People: An amicus brief recently submitted in Lieu v. FEC includes peer-reviewed research demonstrating that large contributions to Super PACs create an appearance of corruption. Their research consisted of two “vignette-based experiments” in which people were recruited to serve as mock jurors and determine whether various campaign finance fact patterns met the standard for quid pro quo corruption under federal bribery statutes. Read more. 

From the Center for Responsive Politics: Democratic candidates in the 2020 presidential election revealed more about their stances on campaign finance during the first debates. Most of the 20 candidates in the debates say the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC needs to be undone, and many also support a constitutional amendment to undo the court’s majority opinion that independent political expenditures are free speech and cannot be subjected to spending limits. The article includes a look at each candidate’s stance on money in politics. Read more. 

From the Arizona Republic: A voter-approved ban on “dark money” in Phoenix elections became law earlier this month. Phoenix voters in November approved the measure that requires individuals and organizations to disclose any campaign donations above $1,000 intended to influence a Phoenix election. Negative ads not connected with the candidates and their campaigns were a staple of the recent mayoral election. Read more.