As you may know, the Corrupt Practices Act was put in place by a citizen’s initiative in 1912. It was a reaction by the people of Montana to copper king William Clark buying a seat in the United States Senate by paying each of Montana’s state senators $10,000 (the equivalent of about $250,000 in today’s dollars). Montanans were outraged and enacted the Corrupt Practices Act in order to get corporate money and influence out of Montana politics. It has been in place all these years until the United States Supreme Court recently decided that it was in conflict with its Citizens United decision.
If we want to continue to decide our own political destiny, then we need to vote for I-166 in November. It will charge our congressional representatives with initiating an amendment to the United States Constitution that will invalidate the Citizens United decision. The essence of the initiative is that corporations are not people, and money is not free speech. Please vote YES for I-166.
Janet S. Blackler
Bigfork