Wisconsin citizens to vote on corporate personhood

Voters in Dane County can weigh in on U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United referenda: Is money speech, are corporations people?

Joe Tarr on Thursday 03/24/2011
The Isthmus, Madison

Kaja Rebane wants Dane County residents to send a message that corporations aren't people and money isn't speech.

The UW-Madison grad student helped organize a successful effort to put referenda on the April 5 ballot in both the city of Madison and Dane County. It ask voters whether they believe corporations and people, and money and speech, should be considered distinct.

The local movement, spearheaded by South Central Wisconsin Move to Amend, is part of a national one that aims to amend the U.S. Constitution, to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's Jan. 21, 2010, decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. That controversial ruling, passed 5-4, found that the government could not restrict corporate spending on independent political advertisements, saying this violated the First Amendment.

While organizing on this issue is being done nationwide, Dane County is one of the first to hold a referendum on it. "People are watching what's going on here," Rebane says. "Across the country, we're being leaders here."

Rebane believes the nonbinding votes will pass, but adds, "It's really important that they pass with high margins. If you have a low turnout, even if it passes, it's not as meaningful."

Both the Madison Common Council and Dane County Board approved putting the referendum on the ballot. The wording of the two referenda is different (see the website for South Central Wisconsin Move to Amend), but the goal is the same. City of Madison residents can vote on both; other Dane County voters on just the Dane County version.

(More here.)