Latest Developments

This past Tuesday, lawyers argued in federal district court in Seattle whether the city’s new minimum wage violates the equal protection rights of franchised business corporations. Free Speech For People filed an amicus brief in support of the city, arguing that the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause protects people, not corporations, and in particular that living wages were a central concern of the Fourteenth Amendment’s drafters. Our local counsel in Seattle, Harry Williams, attended the oral argument and submits this report.
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This morning, the independent news program, Democracy NOW!, hosted our Legal Director Ron Fein and Boston College Law Professor Kent Greenfield for a vigorous debate on corporate claims of constitutional rights. The debate spotlighted how major corporations like McDonald’s and Monsanto are trying to strike down public interest laws on the claim that they are people with constitutional rights.

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Last summer, Seattle passed a law to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. Sounds great, except McDonald’s and other members of the International Franchise Association are suing the city, claiming that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause under the Fourteenth Amendment.
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Do Californians have the right to “instruct” their elected representatives through the ballot?

Our amicus brief filed before the California Supreme Court, points to the California Constitution and argues “yes”. A new op-ed published in the L.A. Daily News, by Ron Fein and Congressman Ted Lieu contines, “it is not enough for the legislator to speak to and for the people once she is elected. The people must have access to diverse tools in order to express their political sentiments.”
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In a new piece published today in the Sacramento Bee, Ron Fein provides analysis on the upcoming case Los Angeles v. Patel.

A case before the Supreme Court about hotel guest registers and the Fourth Amendment has gained the attention of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other corporate heavy hitters, who believe the protection of the Fourth Amendment should extend to all business records. The case involves a Los Angeles ordinance that makes hotels keep detailed guests registers, and make those registers available to the Police department at any time.

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Paul Blumenthal and Ryan Grim tell Huffington Post “The Inside Story Of How Citizens United Has Changed Washington Lawmaking.” In this important piece, we learn the direct impact the Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling has had on the flow of money in Washington and its influence on decision making.
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Maine Citizens for Clean Elections aims to provide candidates with access to more cash so they can better compete with their privately financed opponents.
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