Bill Text: MN HF3022 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Personhood and campaign contributions; application to Congress to call a constitutional convention to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States clarifying that the rights protected under the United States Constitution are the rights of natural persons and not the rights of artificial entities and clarifying that campaign contributions to influence elections are not speech under the First Amendment.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-04-24 - Author added Laine [HF3022 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-HF3022-Introduced.html
1.1A joint resolution
1.2applying to Congress to call a constitutional convention to propose an amendment
1.3to the Constitution of the United States to clarify that the rights protected under the
1.4United States Constitution are the rights of natural persons and not the rights of
1.5artificial entities and to clarify that campaign contributions to influence elections are
1.6not speech under the First Amendment.
1.7WHEREAS, under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, the Congress, on
1.8the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for
1.9proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that shall be valid to all intents
1.10and purposes if ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions
1.11in three-fourths thereof, as one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by Congress;
1.12NOW, THEREFORE,
1.13BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it applies to the
1.14Congress of the United States to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing an
1.15amendment to the Constitution of the United States, to read as follows:
1.16"(1) The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural
1.17persons only.
1.18(2) Artificial entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities,
1.19established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights
1.20under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or
1.21local law.
1.22(3) The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal,
1.23State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.
2.1(4) Federal, State, and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and
2.2expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures, for the purpose of
2.3influencing in any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure.
2.4(5) Federal, State, and local government shall require that any permissible contributions
2.5and expenditures be publicly disclosed.
2.6(6) The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be
2.7speech under the 1st Amendment.
2.8(7) Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed to abridge the freedom of
2.9the press."
2.10BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of Minnesota is directed to
2.11prepare copies of this resolution and transmit them to the Speaker and the Clerk of the United
2.12States House of Representatives, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the
2.13United States Secretary of State, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.
1.2applying to Congress to call a constitutional convention to propose an amendment
1.3to the Constitution of the United States to clarify that the rights protected under the
1.4United States Constitution are the rights of natural persons and not the rights of
1.5artificial entities and to clarify that campaign contributions to influence elections are
1.6not speech under the First Amendment.
1.7WHEREAS, under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, the Congress, on
1.8the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for
1.9proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that shall be valid to all intents
1.10and purposes if ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions
1.11in three-fourths thereof, as one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by Congress;
1.12NOW, THEREFORE,
1.13BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it applies to the
1.14Congress of the United States to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing an
1.15amendment to the Constitution of the United States, to read as follows:
1.16"(1) The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural
1.17persons only.
1.18(2) Artificial entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities,
1.19established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights
1.20under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or
1.21local law.
1.22(3) The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal,
1.23State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.
2.1(4) Federal, State, and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and
2.2expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures, for the purpose of
2.3influencing in any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure.
2.4(5) Federal, State, and local government shall require that any permissible contributions
2.5and expenditures be publicly disclosed.
2.6(6) The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be
2.7speech under the 1st Amendment.
2.8(7) Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed to abridge the freedom of
2.9the press."
2.10BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of Minnesota is directed to
2.11prepare copies of this resolution and transmit them to the Speaker and the Clerk of the United
2.12States House of Representatives, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the
2.13United States Secretary of State, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.
