By Rick Pluta
A ballot campaign is trying to amend the state constitution to require businesses to tell the public when they run their own political ads. A petition drive will try to put the question to voters on the November ballot.
The amendment takes aim at the 2010 Citizens United U-S Supreme Court decision that allows unlimited political expenditures by corporations as a long as they are not coordinated with a candidate's campaign.
The ballot drive is led by elections law professor Jocelyn Benson. She was also the Democrats' 2010 candidate for Michigan secretary of state. Benson said lawmakers could have enacted disclosure laws following the court decision, but didn't.
"This is a significant problem and the citizens have to do something about it because reform is not coming from the state or from Congress."
The amendment would require businesses to report political expenditures within 24 hours and identify themselves on their ads. Unions are specifically excluded. Benson said labor organizations are bound by other disclosure laws.
Copyright 2010, MPRN
A ballot campaign is trying to amend the state constitution to require businesses to tell the public when they run their own political ads. A petition drive will try to put the question to voters on the November ballot.
The amendment takes aim at the 2010 Citizens United U-S Supreme Court decision that allows unlimited political expenditures by corporations as a long as they are not coordinated with a candidate's campaign.
The ballot drive is led by elections law professor Jocelyn Benson. She was also the Democrats' 2010 candidate for Michigan secretary of state. Benson said lawmakers could have enacted disclosure laws following the court decision, but didn't.
"This is a significant problem and the citizens have to do something about it because reform is not coming from the state or from Congress."
The amendment would require businesses to report political expenditures within 24 hours and identify themselves on their ads. Unions are specifically excluded. Benson said labor organizations are bound by other disclosure laws.
Copyright 2010, MPRN