HomeMy WebLinkAbout7158_CCv0001.pdf RESOLUTION NO. 7158
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDLANDS
URGING CONGRESS TO PROPOSE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
ENDING CORPORATE PERSONHOOD
RECITALS
WHEREAS,historically corporations were created as artificial entities subordinate to our
democracy, yet the U.S. Supreme Court has granted corporations personhood status, free speech
and other protections guaranteed to living humans by the Bill of Rights and the 10 Amendment,
and the Redlands City Council considers it to be its right and duty to assert that corporations are
not natural persons with human rights;and
WHEREAS,the U.S. Supreme Co 's 2010 ruling in Citizens United v.Federal Election
Commission further threatens our democracy by rolling back limits on corporate, union and
special interest group spending in electoral campaigns, allowing, vast amounts of money to
drown out the voices of individual human beings; and
WHEREAS,Justice Stevens; writing in dissent in Citizens United, stated. "...corporations
have no consciences,no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires, Corporations help structure
and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their "personhood" often serves as a
useful legal fiction-, But they are not themselves members of"We the People" by whom and for
whom our Constitution was established"; and
WHEREAS, United States Supreme Court Justice Stevens also observed in Alixon v.
Shrink Missouri Government PAC(2000)that"money is property, it is not speech",and
WHEREAS, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy stated that the ruling
"will allow or corporations- who should have law written to control it effect on America -
to instead control America; " and Senator Chris Dodd pointed out that "money is riot speech,"
that "corporations are not people" and that "a constitutional amendment is necessary to fully
restore the voice of the American people;" and
WHEREAS, when freedom to speak is equated with fivedom to spend money, millions of
people who have less money are discrifi-anchised,thus denying their full rights to fi-ee speech.
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Redlands as
follows:
Section 1. The City of Redlands will consider campaign finance reform measures for
municipal elections in the future.
Section 2. That it is the position of the City Council of the City of Redlands that
corporations,unions and special interest groups should not receive the same constitutional rights
as natural persons, and that because money is not speech, limits on political spending will
1Acc1etk\ResWufiomV4s 7100-719%Its g Corporac Penmhood to ChwWcs),dm I
promote the goals of the First Amendment by ensuring that all citizens, regardless of wealth,
have an equal opportunity to have their political opinions heard.
Section 3. That the Redlands City Council respectfully urges California's Congressional
delegation to prioritize this proposal of an amendment to the United States Constitution that
contains both of dwse principles so that the States may ratify it.
Section 4- The Redlands City Council directs the City Manager to send this Resolution to
the City's California Congressional Delegation.
ADOPTED, SIGNED AND APPROVED this I st day of May,,2012.
Peter Agui , Mayor
ATTEST:
'a
Sam im n.Ci
1, Sam Irwin,City Clerk of the City of Redlands, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was
adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on the I st day of May, 2012 by the
following vote.:
AYES: Councilmembers Harrison,Gardner; Mayor Aguilar
NOES: Councilmembers Be-an,Foster
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
City-Clerk
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