Reduce Influence of Money in Politics

Overview

Oct 24 2008

Examples of the corrupting power of money in politics abound, from the Jack Abramoff scandal that put a congressman and several others in jail, to Illinois Governor George Ryan's conviction on racketeering charges. Beyond the overt corruption, the power of big money corporate interests thwarts efforts toward the basic reforms that are desperately needed by the people of this country, such as healthcare for all. And the money needed to compete in elections, and therefore the opportunity for money to corrupt the system, is growing rapidly. In the 2006 election cycle, state-level candidates raised 2.3 billion dollars. Of that, 869 million was raised by state legislative candidates, a 32% increase from 2002.

State lawmakers can lead the way on ending the corrupting influence of money over politics and build a government that puts the needs of ordinary citizens first. The key is to change the way elections are financed, enforce restrictions on corporate lobbyists, and reform the process by which public contracts are awarded.

From the Dispatch

Connecticut Defends Clean Elections Financing Program

Aug 19 2010

Overriding a veto by their Governor, the Conneticut Legislature has strengthened its Citizen's Election system of public financing of elections that was first instituted in 2005. Responding to a bad decision by a federal appeals court, the Legislature has fixed the system and increased the public financing available to candidates.

Supreme Court 2009-2010: Pro-Corporate, But Continued Trend Towards Deferral to State Authority

Jun 29 2010

Yesterday, the Supreme Court ended its term with a bang with a ruling in McDonald v.

Update: Options for Reining in Corporate Election Cash in Wake of Citizens United Supreme Court Decision

Apr 08 2010

The Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (FEC) decision earlier this year gave corporations the same First Amendment rights as citizens with regard to advocating for or against political candidates, unleashing a flood of new corporate cash into state races and a range of new state policy initiatives that aim to protect the integrity of their elections. In response, states are pursuing other reforms, such as requiring shareholder approval for corporations spending election cash, tighter public disclosure and attribution in ads, public financing of elections, and calling for a federal constitutional amendment to reverse the Citizens United decision.

Texas Again Demonstrates the Pitfalls of Privatization

Mar 18 2010

This past week, the Dallas Morning News revealed that a key figure who contributed to the privatization of Texas' food stamp eligibility program is now receiving taxpayer dollars to help fix the problems that the private system created. regg Phillips, who was Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and led the push for privatization a few years ago, now heads AutoGov Inc., a company that has received $207,500 from the state government in the past four months to assist in eliminating the errors in the provision and eligibility determination of the state's food stamp program.

Close the Revolving Door on Legislators-Turned-Lobbyists

Mar 04 2010

While the shenanigans of former U.S. Representative-turned-pharmaceutical lobbyist Billy Tauzin and other legislators-turned-lobbyists make national headlines, the abuse of power in the states often receive scant attention. A recent decision by the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio reminds us that the revolving door among legislators-turned-lobbyists is as much a problem in the states as we hear about at the federal level.

States Act to Limit Judicial Ruling Allowing Corporations to Spend Directly to Elect or Defeat Candidates

Jan 28 2010

Portending a sharp increase in corporate political spending, the Supreme Court has ruled (Citizens United v. FEC) that corporations enjoy the same speech rights of citizens when it comes to advocating the election or defeating political candidates. Elected officials, including U.S. President Barack Obama, have denounced the ruling as striking at the heart of our democracy by putting corporations on an equal footing with real people when it comes to basic constitutional rights.

Anti-Tax Forces Lose at Ballot/Split Decision on Gay Unions/Other Election Analysis

Nov 05 2009

While the governors' races in New Jersey and Virginia got most of the headlines, other state races around the country delivered a mixed message by voters on a number of issues. Read more about anti-tax forces continue to fail at the ballot box, a split vote on gay and lesbian unions, how voters continue to support public investments, and more.

On the Ballot: Defeating TABOR, Defending Relationship Equality Laws & A Roundup of Other Ballot Issues

Oct 19 2009

Along with giving a roundup of the range of initiatives on the ballot in this off-year election, this Dispatch will give special focus to the campaigns against TABOR and defending relationship equality laws.

Judge Ruling in Favor of Big Contributor Ruled Illegal by U.S. Supreme Court

Jun 11 2009

When a coal company spent $3 million to help elect the Chief Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court and that Chief Justice turned around and overturned a $50 million jury judgment against the company, many commentators thought it stunk of corruption and that the judge should have recused himself from the case.

New York Attorney General Uncovers National Pay-to-Play Scandal

May 21 2009

New York's Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, is in the midst of a two-year investigation into kickbacks paid to state political staff in exchange for the opportunity to profitably manage the investments of New York State's public pension fund. That investigation has now prompted a national effort with a multi-state task force and the Securities and Exchange Commission working together to uncover rampant pay-to-play abuses. Nationally there is over $2 trillion in US public pension assets.

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