Maine Amendment to Overturn Citizens United Ruling Initiative (2015)

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The Maine Amendment to Overturn Citizens United Ruling Initiative did not appear on the November 3, 2015 ballot in Maine as an indirect initiated state statute. The measure, upon voter approval, would have directed the Maine Legislature to petition the United States Congress to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of "safeguarding access to the political process for all United States citizens regardless of income..." by adding the following two points to the United States Constitution:

1. "The rights of corporations and artificial entities are subordinate to the rights of natural persons. Corporations and artificial entities are the creation of government for the purpose of promoting the life, health, and general welfare of the public and may be regulated, modified or abolished by government to accomplish that purpose."
2. "The spending of money to influence elections is not speech under the Amendment I of the Constitution and may be reasonably regulated by federal, state and local government in order to prevent the appearance or reality of corruption and to promote a greater balance, participation and equality of citizens in the electoral process."

One purpose of the initiative was to get the 2010 United States Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission overturned.

Sponsor

The initiative was filed by Naomi Carol Cohen of Hope, Maine.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing ballot measures in Maine

Supporters of the measure were required to submit about 61,123 signatures by January 22, 2015, in order to get the measure certified for the 2015 ballot. Proponents had until August 19, 2015, to get the measure certified for the 2016 ballot.

See also

Suggest a link

• Maine 2015 ballot measures
• 2015 ballot measures
• Laws governing the initiative process in Maine