00                       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 6                                                                     
01 Urging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to work to                                     
02 amend the Constitution of the United States to prohibit corporations, unions, and                                       
03 individuals from making unlimited independent expenditures supporting or opposing                                       
04 candidates for public office.                                                                                           
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
06       WHEREAS a vast majority of Americans recognize that the influence of large                                      
07 contributions by corporations, wealthy individuals, and organizations harms the ability of                              
08 average citizens to have a voice in their own government; and                                                           
09       WHEREAS the voices of all Americans should be heard, not just those of wealthy                                  
10 individuals, corporate political action committees, and unions; and                                                     
11       WHEREAS income inequity, or the gap between the nation's wealthy and working-                                   
12 class citizens, has been significantly growing for decades; and                                                         
13 WHEREAS, when the interests of wealthy individuals are magnified and promoted                                         
14 by unlimited independent expenditures, the voices of working class Americans are drowned                                
15 out and the income disparity between the wealthy and working class citizens of the nation                               
01 only grows; and                                                                                                         
02 WHEREAS the narrow majority five to four decision of the United States Supreme                                        
03 Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), allows                                    
04 corporations and unions to make unlimited independent expenditures supporting or opposing                               
05 a candidate for public office; and                                                                                      
06       WHEREAS unlimited independent expenditures from corporations and unions were                                    
07 prohibited until the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal                            
08 Election Commission; and                                                                                                
09       WHEREAS billions of dollars have been spent by corporations and unions since the                                
10 ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission                             
11 for negative ads, which often misinform voters rather than lead to a productive discussion of                           
12 the states' and nation's most important issues; and                                                                     
13 WHEREAS, unless the United States Supreme Court reverses its ruling, the only way                                     
14 to reverse the harmful effects of the Citizens United ruling is to amend the Constitution of the                        
15 United States; and                                                                                                      
16 WHEREAS, while not addressed by the United States Supreme Court's ruling in                                           
17 Citizens United, unlimited independent expenditures made by individuals also distort the                                
18 political process and ability of all American citizens to have an equal voice in government;                            
19 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States                                              
20 Congress and the President of the United States to work across party lines to propose a                                 
21 constitutional amendment to prohibit corporations, unions, and individuals from making                                  
22 unlimited independent expenditures.                                                                                     
23 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President                                   
24 of the United States; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S.                                 
25 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska                                       
26 delegation in Congress; all other members of the 115th United States Congress; and the                                  
27 presiding officers of the legislatures of each of the other 49 states.