The Overturn Citizens United Act is back in the California State Legislature, but we have yet to secure the measure on the November 2016 ballot.

The Overturn Citizens United Act SB-254 (previously SB 1272) was reintroduced by California legislators,  after it was removed from the ballot in 2014. Two state Senators, Ben Allen of Santa Monica and Mark Leno of San Francisco, reintroduced “an advisory measure that would  pose a nonbinding question to voters in November: Should Congress pursue a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial 2010 Citizens United decision, which held that political spending by corporations and labor unions is protected as free speech?”

We are getting closer to restoring The Overturn Citizens United Act to its rightful place on the ballot, but we need your help. Below is an update on the status of the bill and what’s next:

• The first committee stop for SB 254 will be in the Assembly Elections & Redistricting Committee chaired by ASM Sebastian Ridley-Thomas of Los Angeles.  The Vice Chair is Republican Matthew Harper who represents Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and much of the South Bay. The other Republican on the E & R Committee is ASM Travis Allen from neighboring SoCal AD 72 (Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Seal Beach and more.)  The other E & R members are Mike Gatto, Richard Gordon,  Kevin Mullin, Adrin Nazarian. In their capacity as E & R committee members all Californians can call these to Assembly members to ask for their “aye” votes in committee and for co-authorship.

• With 80% of Americans polling favor of campaign finance reform and overturning Citizens United, we know this is far from a right-left issue. We are encouraging Republican legislators to sign on in support of  SB 254 by co-authoring the bill.