What's happened
Hawaii has been moving to redefine corporations to preclude spending on elections, with a bill sent to the governor and a Montana-backed ballot effort underway. The Citizens United ruling remains a focal point of debate, while advocates say the reform could curb dark money in politics.
What's behind the headline?
Brief
- Hawaii has sent a corporate-spending ban bill to the governor, aiming to redefine corporations to ban spending on campaigns while potentially leaving room for lobbying.
- A parallel effort in Montana seeks to place a similar measure before voters this November.
What’s driving this
- Proponents argue that limiting corporate and dark-money spending will reduce influence in politics and counter the Citizens United framework.
- Critics warn that such measures could face constitutional challenges and may not significantly alter political spending, given the scale of spending by wealthy individuals.
What to watch
- Whether Hawaii’s governor signs the bill and how courts interpret the measure.
- The legal trajectory of The Montana Plan if it advances to court challenges.
- How donors and political actors adapt to new rules across states.
How we got here
The push follows the Citizens United ruling that allowed outside spending and the growth of dark money. Hawaii lawmakers have introduced legislation, while Montanans are gathering signatures for a ballot measure branded The Montana Plan. Analysts note legal and practical questions about the effectiveness and enforceability of such corporate spending prohibitions.
Our analysis
AP News reports on Hawaii’s bill and Montana’s ballot effort, alongside context from the New York Times analysis of long-term campaign finance dynamics and the Citizens United backdrop.
Go deeper
- Will Hawaii’s governor sign the bill or veto it?
- How might the Montana Plan fare in court if adopted?
- What impact could these moves have on outside spending in upcoming elections?
More on these topics
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Citizens United v. FEC - Court case
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310, was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning campaign finance.
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Hawaii - US State
Hawaii is a state of the United States of America located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the only U.S. state located outside North America, the only island state, and the only state in the tropics.