Hawaii legislature passes bill to curb Citizens United at state level
Hawaii's Legislature passed SB2471, a first-in-the-nation law designed to limit corporate political spending and blunt the effects of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision in state and local races. The bill gives Hawaii new authority to regulate and restrict corporate independent expenditures in elections, with supporters saying citizens rather than corporations should hold the power in voting decisions. Lawmakers and advocates frame the measure as a legal model other states can use to reduce outside corporate money and strengthen voter influence in down-ballot contests.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green is ready to sign the most groundbreaking campaign finance bill in the country. Hawaii is putting an end to Citizens United within the state! Details: www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/hawaii-jus...
Citizens United. Shelby County. Dobbs. Last week’s VRA ruling. The damage is real, and it compounds. Hawaii is pushing back. More states need to do the same.
Fun fact about Hawaii's Governor: He is an emergency room doc who as a state senator still pulled regular ER shifts through the COVID epidemic.
One down, 49 to go. 👏
HUGE NEWS: The Hawaii legislature, on overwhelming and bipartisan votes, just now became the first state to clear a bill that rids the state’s politics of all dark and corporate money — effectively undoing Citizens United. Next stop: Gov. Josh Green‘s desk for his signature.
We did it! Mahalo to the awesome team at CAP.
Thanks to all your hard work on submitting testimony and working with our legislature to make it happen! Also, we call them aloha shirts here in the islands; if you ever find yourself here, I'll happily buy you a beer!
Thanks so much for all your help, Tom! Couldn't have done it without your support all the way!
What's the thinking on how this survives SCOTUS? If political contributions are just speech, isn't this the state punishing speech?