Earlier this month, the US came one step closer to enacting the first constitutional amendment in 24 yrs, when New York state called for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. The win marked years of hard work on the part of grassroots advocates and groups like Free Speech For People and Public Citizen, who banded together to gain bipartisan support for a letter that demands Congress act on behalf of fighting Citizens United.  Now, seventeen states are on the record calling for a 28th constitutional amendment that would undo the corrupting influence of unchecked spending in elections and the myth that corporations have the same constitutional rights as people.
Yes! Magazine highlighted the New York state win and discussed with John Bonifaz, Free Speech For People co-founder, what is next for the amendment movement and the fight to end big money in democracy.

“This continues to be an issue that cuts across the political spectrum,” says John Bonifaz. He is president and co-founder of Free Speech for People, a group that advocates a 28th amendment and was founded the day of the Citizens United decision.

So, who will be next to weigh in after New York?

This fall, two more states will give their voters a chance to weigh in on money in politics: California and Washington.

California already passed a resolution calling for the reversal of Citizens United in 2012, but some residents want to go further. Voters will now decide on the Overturn Citizens United Act, which asks lawmakers to “use all of their constitutional authority … to overturn Citizens United v. FECand other applicable judicial precedents.”

Meanwhile, Washington could become the 18th state to join the call for an amendment. Initiative 735 will appear on the state’s ballot in November, having received nearly 340,000 voter signatures.

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