P1 1WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court’s decision in
2Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) 558 U.S.
3310 upset longstanding precedent limiting the political influence
4ofbegin delete corporations;end deletebegin insert corporations and unions;end insert and
5WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court’s decision in
6McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, No. 12-536 (April
72, 2014) further eviscerates our nation’s campaign finance laws
8by overturning nearly 40 years of law upholding aggregate limits
9on campaign contributions; and
10WHEREAS, Aggregate contribution limits restrict the total
11amount of money a donor may contribute to all federal candidates
12and other political committees in an election cycle; and
13WHEREAS, In holding that aggregate contribution limits are
14invalid under the First Amendment, McCutcheon v. Federal
15Election Commission creates a legal loophole that allows an
16individual donor to contribute millions of dollars to political parties
17and individual candidates; and
18WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has long
19recognized that campaign finance laws are necessary not only to
20eliminate quid pro quo corruption in elections by preventing the
21direct exchange of money for official action, but also to curtail
22undue influence by wealthy donors; and
P2 1WHEREAS, The democratic process depends on unfettered
2communication between the people and their elected representatives
3so that the government may act in response to prevailing public
4opinion; and
5WHEREAS, Campaign finance laws that allow limitless
6contributions subvert this political process by enabling the voices
7of the few to override the collective voice of the many; and
8WHEREAS, Removing aggregate contribution limits also
9engenders an appearance of corruption that undermines the public’s
10faith in its government; now, therefore, be it
11Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
12Assembly respectfully disagrees with the majority opinion and
13decision of the United States Supreme Court in McCutcheon v.
14Federal Election Commission; and be it further
15Resolved, That the Assembly calls upon the United States
16Congress to restore constitutional rights and fair elections to all
17people, not merely to those who can afford it; and be it further
18Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
19of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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