MONTANA CLEARS PATH TO KILL CITIZENS UNITED

[applegrove]

MONTANA CLEARS PATH TO KILL CITIZENS UNITED

https://www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/army-secretary-tells-hegseth-no-montana

Sixteen years ago, the Supreme Court handed corporations the power to buy American elections and called it free speech. Montana just found an exit ramp.

The Montana Plan—a proposed Montana ballot measure that’s gaining steam—doesn’t overturn Citizens United. It goes around it. States grant corporate charters and decide the powers those charters include. It would simply remove “spending in elections” from those powers, killing dark money at the source.

The Montana Mining Association and the Montana Chamber of Commerce immediately ran to court to kill it before voters could sign on. But on April 2, the Montana Supreme Court rejected them 7-0.

You don’t file an emergency lawsuit to stop something you’re not afraid of. Seventy-four percent of Montana voters support it—including a majority of Republicans and independents. The campaign is driving toward a June 19 signature deadline—and the momentum is there.

[montanacowboy]

1. Well damn

they are beginning to see the light even over there

[Arthur_Frain]

12. Five will get you ten it will only apply to liberal organizations/corporations.

Toothless window dressing I’m betting.

[Biophilic]

19. Montana isn't exactly filled with liberals.

[Arthur_Frain]

20. Of course not

But this seems like another opportunity for the deciding powers to slap them down and look the other way when the conservatives spend the dough.

Sorry, I’m too jaded to think any Republican led state can ever do the right thing.

[Biophilic]

23. You don't have to apologize. I just had a moment of insanity.

Temporarily it was mostly republicans we were talking about.

[2naSalit]

2. Good...

Citizens United actually violates the State Constitution. There are hefty restrictions on money in elections, had them since the robber barons.

[MadameButterfly]

13. Which state constitution?

Montana? any others?

[2naSalit]

16. Montana...

Their Constitution also allows for abortions so the legislature can't ban them there. Don't know about other states.

[MadameButterfly]

17. Wow

[pecosbob]

3. Corporations exist solely at the states' discretion.

[progressoid]

4. Rec

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Trmp and Miller were delighted to see that headline ... until they got to the last word. nt

[Gore1FL]

6. I hope Montana can get this done. If the voters passed such a think in my state of Missouri...

...the GOP legislature would likely undo the will of the people, again.

[pnwmom]

7. There will be the inevitable outcry that this will discourage companies from company to Montana.

What is the best way to respond to that?

[orangecrush]

9. "Take your grifting asses elsewhere"

Sounds pretty good.

[PatrickforB]

10. Of course, until a majority of other states pass these measures. It is PAST TIME to stand up to these

billionaires and corporations because they have squeezed the middle class almost to extinction.

[Scalded Nun]

11. Push for every damn state to pass the same bill.

[AllyCat]

22. We can't do it as a ballot measure in WI because we don't have them.

Last edited Fri Apr 10, 2026, 09:52 PM - Edit history (1)

But if we elect a sane person to replace the outgoing excellent Governor Evers and flip our Legislature (which is looking more doable)…maybe we could get it passed as law.

[MadameButterfly]

14. Maybe it will save corporations a lot of money

not to have to spend their dollars competing for influence. They can just run their businesses.

[paleotn]

21. Companies go where the talent is. It isn't all about state legislation or taxes.

Case in point....Jensen Huang of Nvidia fame isn't the least bit worried about the California wealth tax. Said so himself. Apparently he's not psychotically greedy and can do math, i.e., the leavy wouldn't really impact him all that much in the grand scheme. One less yacht to ski behind perhaps, but no worries, he has several. Plus, Cali is where the talent is. It sure as shit isn't in Gadsden freaking Alabama.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/07/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-perfectly-fine-with-proposed-billionaire-tax.html

[dave99]

27. when you have $x,000,000,000.00 a yearly tax bil of $x,000.000.00 doesn't mean much

[paleotn]

29. It really doesn't. Like you or me making a nice donation to our favorite charity.

Doesn't dint our everyday finances much at all.

[thesquanderer]

26. It doesn't matter where they are, this will affect them.

As Robert Reich described it, "a state that no longer grants its corporations the power to spend in elections also denies that power to corporations chartered in the other 49 states, if they wish to do business in that state."

If this were to pass, even though they are not headquartered there, Amazon, Home Depot, AT&T, UPS etc. would have to abide by it, or stop servicing customers in Montana.

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/how-to-get-rid-of-citizens-united

And once it passes in one state, I expect something similar will pass in some others as well.

[pnwmom]

33. I'm not sure a market as small as Montana would matter to them.

We need a CA or TX or NY to do that.

[Bayard]

31. I don't think there's a long list of companies wanting to come there anyway,

Even though its a great state. I could see trump wanting to build a few immigrant prisons on all that vacant land.

[orangecrush]

8. Hell yes!

[MadameButterfly]

15. Who ever dreamed that Montana would be the state to turn this around?

[GreenWave]

24. It could happen anywhere

[SWBTATTReg]

18. Something to watch closely!

[mvd]

25. K&R

I hope other states follow!

[Scrivener7]

28. Come on Delaware! You can do it too!

[EuterpeThelo]

39. If Delaware were to do this

it would effectively upend Citizens United. That state is the corporate capital of the United States with 66% of Fortune 500 companies formed there. There are one million actual citizens there and over two million registered companies.

Hmm. Sounds like a postcarding campaign should happen aimed at the DE legislature...

[Scrivener7]

42. Yep. This would be a very worthwhile are for us Democrats to put a concerted effort.

There are some secondary states that have a lot of companies' incorporations, but none has nearly as many as Delaware. Montana is one of the biggest secondary ones and this takes care of them.

[leftstreet]

30. DURec

[Bayard]

32. K&R

Giddyup!

[Faux pas]

34. ...

[live love laugh]

35. Come on Illinois!

[LudwigPastorius]

36. Nuts & Bolts here:

https://transparentelection.org/

[Ruby the Liberal]

37. This is a great step, but what is the scope?

Is this only for in-state charters in in-state elections or does it block them from funnelling cash in national elections that include the state (POTUS)?

And is there any impact in-state or national to other corps not HQ there?

The implications are amazing - and if this holds up, lets hope to see larger states like CA and NY following suit.

[EuterpeThelo]

40. Right

I'm curious whether they'd be able to effectively enforce it against companies that simply qualify there to do business as a foreign corporation or LLC.

[Martin68]

38. I really hope this works.

[3Hotdogs]

41. Delaware and South Dakota are homes to many large corporations.

Do those states have citizen referendum?

[Passages]

43. The blue print for the entire USA.

Highly recommend.

[Wonder Why]

44. All that yelling?