Retired Montana Supreme Court Justice and Free Speech For People Board Member, James C. Nelson and Democracy Honors Fellow, Jasmine Gomez co-authored an op-ed published today in The Hill, titled ” If SCOTUS won’t act to overturn Citizens United, the states will.”

Justice Nelson shares his wisdom on why voters in California and Washington must vote “YES” in support of ballot initiatives in their state calling for a 28th amendment to reverse Citizens United.

Of course, “No one expected this kind of election season, but one glimmer of light has emerged: Voters of both parties (or no party) have come to challenge what they see as a rigged system that benefits wealthy and corporate elites.” But, alas two more states are ready to take action where the Court won’t.

Justice Nelson writes,

To be sure, the problem does not start or end with Citizens United. The Supreme Court set us down this path in a 1976 decision called Buckley v. Valeo, which rejected political equality as a reason to limit money in politics.

After Citizens United, many campaign finance cases have been litigated in court and even more power has been shifted away from everyday people. As much as we hope that a new U.S. Supreme Court Justice can solve the problem, we don’t want to rely on just one individual when the pendulum can swing back and forth.

It is up to us — We the People — to restore democracy. That’s why, in 2012, 75 percent of Montana voters supported a resolution calling on the state to seek a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. Sixteen other states, and over 700 local communities, have joined them. This November, the voters of California on Prop-59 and Washington on I-735 also have the chance to speak up for democracy and for a democracy of We the People.

On Election Day, the people of California and Washington have an opportunity to make their voices heard and to take action against big money. Will your state be next?

To read this article in full on The Hill, click here.