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 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 to                                      
14 advocate for or against candidates were prohibited until the ruling of the United States                                
15 Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission; and                                                    
01       WHEREAS the hundreds of millions of dollars in spending by corporations and                                     
02 unions since the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal                                
03 Election Commission has contributed to a dramatic increase in the number of negative ads,                               
04 which often misinform voters rather than lead to a productive discussion of the state's and                             
05 nation's most important issues; and                                                                                     
06       WHEREAS, unless the United States Supreme Court reverses its ruling, the only way                               
07 to reverse the harmful effects of the Citizens United ruling is to amend the Constitution of the                        
08 United States; and                                                                                                      
09       WHEREAS, while not addressed by the United States Supreme Court's ruling in                                     
10 Citizens United, unlimited independent expenditures made by individuals also distort the                                
11 political process and ability of all American citizens to have an equal voice in government;                            
12 and                                                                                                                     
13       WHEREAS an unprecedented amount, $43,000,000 in independent expenditures, was                                   
14 spent in the state's 2014 election for United States senator, ranking it sixth amongst the most                         
15 expensive senate races since the Citizens United ruling; and                                                            
16       WHEREAS the state's 2014 election for United States senator was the most expensive                              
17 election contest in United States history by the amount spent for each voter;                                           
18       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States                                        
19 Congress and the President of the United States to work across party lines to propose a                                 
20 constitutional amendment to prohibit corporations, unions, and individuals from making                                  
21 unlimited independent expenditures to advocate for or against candidates.                                               
22       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of                             
23 the United States; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S.                                    
24 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska                                       
25 delegation in Congress; all other members of the 114th United States Congress; and the                                  
26 presiding officers of the legislatures of each of the other 49 states.