00 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 8
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 narrow majority five to four decision of the United States Supreme
10 Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), allows
11 corporations and unions to make unlimited independent expenditures supporting or opposing
12 a candidate for public office; and
13 WHEREAS unlimited independent expenditures from corporations and unions were
14 prohibited until the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal
15 Election Commission; and
01 WHEREAS much of the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent by corporations
02 and unions since the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal
03 Election Commission is used for negative ads, which often misinform voters rather than lead
04 to a productive discussion of the states' and nation's most important issues; and
05 WHEREAS, unless the United States Supreme Court reverses its ruling, the only way
06 to reverse the harmful effects of the Citizens United ruling is to amend the Constitution of the
07 United States; and
08 WHEREAS, while not addressed by the United States Supreme Court's ruling in
09 Citizens United, unlimited independent expenditures made by individuals also distort the
10 political process and ability of all American citizens to have an equal voice in government;
11 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States
12 Congress and the President of the United States to work across party lines to propose a
13 constitutional amendment to prohibit corporations, unions, and individuals from making
14 unlimited independent expenditures.
15 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of
16 the United States; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S.
17 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska
18 delegation in Congress; all other members of the 113th United States Congress; and the
19 presiding officers of the legislatures of each of the other 49 states.