Update: This was a bi-partisan vote, with 10 Republican Representatives joining Demoracts in passing this resolution.

For Immediate Release
March 20, 2013

New Hampshire State House to Congress:
Overturn Citizens United And
Get Big Money Out of Politics

CONCORD, NH. – Today, by a vote of 189-139, the New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a resolution calling on Congress to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United by amending the U.S. Constitution to make clear that corporations are not people with constitutional rights (HCR 2).

The vote puts New Hampshire on track to become the twelfth state to call for such a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

John Bonifaz, executive director of Free Speech For People, said: “More and more states are asking Congress to send them a constitutional amendment to get big money out of politics and make clear that people govern over corporations, not the other way around. With this important vote, New Hampshire has taken a bold step forward in the fight to reclaim our democracy.”

HCR 2 requests that Congress “begin the process for a constitutional amendment establishing that human beings, not corporations, are entitled to constitutional rights.”

Representatives Cushing, Weed, Pastor and Cooney sponsored the resolution.

Background

The movement to overturn Citizens United and reclaim our democracy has been growing across the country at the state and local levels. This past November, voters in both Montana and Colorado approved ballot measures by nearly three-to-one margins, and seven other states — Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont, Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey — acted through their legislatures, which passed resolutions calling for an amendment; in two more, Connecticut and Maryland, majorities of the legislatures signed letters to Congress calling for an amendment.

Congressman Jim McGovern introduced two such amendment bills this year. Both have been co-sponsored by Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) along with many other co-sponsors. HJ Res 20 would restore Congress’ and the states’ authority to regulate campaign spending, and HJ Res 21 or the “People’s Rights Amendment” would overturn Citizens United and clarify that constitutional rights apply to living persons, not corporations.