To the editor:
State Representative Thomas Stanley recently met with Waltham and Lincoln voters to discuss the We The People Act. This proposed bipartisan Massachusetts bill calls on Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to affirm (1) that rights protected by the Constitution are the rights of human beings only, not corporations, and (2) that Congress and the states may place limits on political contributions and spending. The second principle would overturn recent Supreme Court rulings in Citizens United and McCutcheon, both of which unleashed a flood of money into the electoral process.
This act also proposes that if Congress does not pass the amendment, the Massachusetts legislature will call for an amendments convention. In Article V of the Constitution, the Founders provided two routes for proposing an amendment to the Constitution: by a two-thirds majority vote of both houses of Congress or by an amendments convention called for by two-thirds of the states. The second route could be taken when a dysfunctional Congress blocks reform advocated by the people. In this case, state legislatures could petition Congress to call a convention—not for overturning or changing the Constitution, but for proposing an idea for an amendment. The threat of such a convention can force Congress to act, as it did with the 17th Amendment.
At the meeting, Representative Stanley enthusiastically agreed to co-sponsor the proposed bill and actively support its passage. He joins lead sponsor Representative Cory Atkins in the House and will help recruit more legislators from around the Commonwealth as co-sponsors. A growing coalition of citizens groups across the country also supports this bill.
Massachusetts has always been a leader in the fight for democracy. In 2012, a unanimous General Court passed a bipartisan bill to restore the 1st Amendment and fair elections to the people. However, more must be done. We need to take back the Constitution from private, wealthy power and get big money out of elections through a constitutional amendment.
Sincerely,
Gary Davis (chair, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee)
20R Indian Camp Lane
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