00                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 33                                                                     
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 five to four decision of the United States Supreme Court in                                  
10 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 130 S. Ct. 876 (2010), allows corporations                              
11 and unions to make unlimited independent expenditures supporting or opposing a candidate                                
12 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 going to 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 112th United States Congress; and the                                  
19 presiding officers of the legislatures of each of the other 49 states.