Bill Text: IA HCR107 | 2013-2014 | 85th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A concurrent resolution requesting that the United States Congress propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States to allow for the regulation of the political expenditure of funds by corporations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-20 - Resolution filed, referred to State Government. H.J. 298. [HCR107 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2013-HCR107-Introduced.html
House
Concurrent
Resolution
107
-
Introduced
HOUSE
CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
NO.
107
BY
KAJTAZOVIC
A
Concurrent
Resolution
requesting
that
the
United
1
States
Congress
propose
amendments
to
the
2
Constitution
of
the
United
States
to
allow
for
the
3
regulation
of
the
political
expenditure
of
funds
by
4
corporations.
5
WHEREAS,
the
Bill
of
Rights
as
part
of
the
6
Constitution
of
the
United
States
provides
certain
7
inalienable
rights
to
natural
persons;
and
8
WHEREAS,
corporations
are
not
mentioned
in
the
9
Constitution
of
the
United
States;
and
10
WHEREAS,
governments
create
the
legal
structures
for
11
the
recognition
of
corporate
entities,
and
the
rights
12
that
they
enjoy
under
the
Constitution
of
the
United
13
States
should
be
more
narrowly
defined
than
the
rights
14
that
are
afforded
to
natural
persons;
and
15
WHEREAS,
the
decision
to
regulate
corporate
16
financial
campaign
contributions
is
one
that
17
historically
the
United
States
Congress
and
the
states
18
have
been
allowed
to
address;
and
19
WHEREAS,
in
1907,
the
United
States
Congress
enacted
20
the
Tillman
Act,
34
Stat.
864,
prohibiting
corporate
21
financial
contributions
to
federal
election
campaigns
22
for
public
office;
and
23
WHEREAS,
in
2010,
the
United
States
Supreme
Court
24
in
Citizens
United
v.
Federal
Election
Commission,
25
588
U.S.
310,
ruled
that
the
United
States
Congress
26
and
the
states
lacked
the
constitutional
right
to
27
ban
independent
corporate
expenditures
to
political
28
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H.C.R.
107
campaigns
for
public
office;
and
1
WHEREAS,
the
United
States
Supreme
Court
in
the
2
Citizens
United
decision
relied
on
its
previously
3
issued
opinion
in
the
1976
case
of
Buckley
v.
Valeo,
4
424
U.S.
1,
in
which
the
Supreme
Court
equated
the
5
spending
of
money
for
electing
candidates
to
public
6
office
as
speech;
and
7
WHEREAS,
the
Citizens
United
decision
has
allowed
8
for
the
creation
of
super
political
action
committees
9
in
election
campaigns
for
public
office
that
allow
for
10
unregulated
campaign
expenditures
in
unprecedented
11
amounts;
and
12
WHEREAS,
as
a
result
of
the
Citizens
United
13
decision,
Congress
and
the
state
legislatures
were
14
denied
any
legal
authority
to
regulate
independent
15
corporate
political
expenditures;
and
16
WHEREAS,
a
restoration
of
the
guidelines
established
17
in
the
Bipartisan
Campaign
Reform
Act
of
2002,
Pub.
18
L.
No.
107–155,
is
imperative
so
that
the
United
19
States
Congress
and
the
state
legislatures
may
20
exercise
their
historic
authority
to
make
their
own
21
decisions
about
whether
to
regulate
corporate
political
22
expenditures;
and
23
WHEREAS,
this
policy
change
will
require
that
24
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States
be
amended
to
25
authorize
the
United
States
Congress
and
the
states
26
to
regulate
individual
and
corporate
financial
27
participation
in
political
campaigns;
and
28
WHEREAS,
the
Iowa
General
Assembly
does
not
29
support
amending
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States
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H.C.R.
107
to
in
any
way
abridge
the
rights
of
any
person
or
1
organization,
including
freedom
of
religion
and
freedom
2
of
the
press;
and
3
WHEREAS,
the
Iowa
General
Assembly
expresses
its
4
disagreement
with
the
holdings
of
the
United
States
5
Supreme
Court
in
its
decisions
in
Buckley
and
Citizens
6
United
which
hold
that
money
constitutes
speech
7
and
that
the
First
Amendment
prohibits
the
federal
8
government
from
restricting
political
independent
9
expenditures
by
corporations;
and
10
WHEREAS,
United
States
Senator
Tom
Udall
of
New
11
Mexico
with
15
cosponsors
has
introduced
Senate
12
Joint
Resolution
19,
“proposing
an
amendment
to
13
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States
relating
to
14
contributions
and
expenditures
intended
to
affect
15
elections”
that
would
give
the
United
States
Congress
16
and
the
states
the
authority
to
regulate
the
raising
17
and
spending
of
moneys
with
respect
to
elections;
NOW
18
THEREFORE,
19
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES,
20
THE
SENATE
CONCURRING,
That
the
General
Assembly
21
respectfully
requests
that
the
Congress
of
the
United
22
States
adopt
Senate
Joint
Resolution
19;
and
23
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
the
General
Assembly
24
urges
the
United
States
Congress
to
propose
an
25
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States
that
26
provides
that
money
is
not
speech,
that
corporations
27
are
not
persons
under
the
Constitution
of
the
United
28
States,
and
that
affirms
the
constitutional
rights
of
29
natural
persons;
and
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H.C.R.
107
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
the
Chief
Clerk
of
1
the
House
of
Representatives
shall
transmit
certified
2
copies
of
this
resolution
to
the
President
and
3
Secretary
of
the
United
States
Senate,
the
Speaker
and
4
Clerk
of
the
United
States
House
of
Representatives,
5
and
each
member
of
the
Iowa
congressional
delegation.
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