The state of Maine may soon block all corporate contributions to state elections. Photo credit: Jim Bowen/Wikimedia Commons
Good news from the north: just last week, Maine’s largest city, Portland, voted in support of an amendment abolishing corporate personhood, following similar movements by cities across the country, including New York and Los Angeles. The resolution was in part a response to the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision:
No one who spoke at Wednesday’s hearing supported the [Citizens United] ruling. Speakers said Portland could make a small difference by adding its voice to a rising tide of dissent across the country.
“Corporate personhood comes from the court, not the cradle or an act of Congress,” said Herb Adams of Portland. “The only thing separating a corporation from being human now is their ability to cast a vote.”
It wasn’t the first time that the council in Maine’s largest city had tackled a federal issue, as the resolution’s sponsor, Councilor David Marshall, pointed out.
And yesterday, Maine State Rep. Jon Hinck (D-Portland) submitted a proposal to ban corporate contributions to candidates for state office:
Hinck’s bill, entitled “An Act to Limit to Natural Persons the Right to Contribute to Political Campaigns,” is based on a law passed in Montana. Hinck, who is running for the U.S. Senate, said in a written statement he wants to “prevent the corrupting influences of special interest corporations on our elections.”
Nice work, Maine!
Read more:
The Portland Press-Herald: Portland councilors support an end to ‘corporate personhood’
The Portland Press-Herald: Hinck bill would ban corporate funding of candidates
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