Proposed: A RESOLUTION OF THE
KLAMATH COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Opposing the Citizens United Decision
WHEREAS, money has the power to decide elections; and
WHEREAS, corporations and other moneyed interests have the money, and therefore the power, to decide elections by overpowering the voice of individual voters, the majority of whom can only make comparatively small contributions to campaigns; and
WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission [Wikipedia] that corporations can spend unlimited sums of money on political advertisements for or against any candidate for public office, enabling corporations to use their immense wealth to wield immense political influence without limits; and
WHEREAS, Citizens United threatens to undermine democracy by allowing corporations to force candidates for public office to protect corporate interests under threat of spending unlimited sums against their election or re-election, thereby drowning out the will of the people; and
WHEREAS, in a healthy democracy, the voters should decide elections, and moneyed interests should not have an unfair advantage over the voters due to their immense wealth; and
WHEREAS, human rights, such as the right to free speech, should only be afforded to humans, not legal fictions; and
WHEREAS, the Democratic Party of Oregon has resolved, via Resolution 2009-043 [DPO website], to urge lawmakers to overturn Citizens United through state and federal constitutional amendments; and
WHEREAS, Article 4 of the Legislative Agenda of the Democratic Party of Oregon for 2010 [PDF] calls for greater transparency and accountability of all contributions and urges the amendment of the U.S. Constitution to allow the regulation of corporate political speech.
NOW, THEREFORE, WE RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. THAT we strongly urge lawmakers to vote for, and submit for ratification, state and federal constitutional amendments, declaring that the rights and privileges granted by the respective documents shall accrue to natural persons only.
Section 2. THAT in the meantime, we strongly urge lawmakers to enact and enforce strict legislation requiring full disclosure of political spending by corporations.
Section 3. THAT we shall send copies of this resolution to the Klamath Falls Herald and News for publication, to all members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly and Oregon’s U.S. Congressional delegation, and to every county Democratic central committee in Oregon.
ADOPTED on the __th day of _____, 2010.
Proposed: A RESOLUTION OF THE
KLAMATH COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Supporting the Freedom to Marry in Oregon
WHEREAS, Article 15, Section 5a of the Oregon Constitution reserves civil marriage for opposite-sex couples; and
WHEREAS, this section is a constitutional amendment added by Measure 36 in 2004; and
WHEREAS, the reservation of civil marriage for opposite-sex couples hinders same-sex couples’ ability to form families, violates the long-standing tradition of equal protection under the law, and ignores the church’s right to choose to conduct a marriage ceremony for people of the same sex as their faith permits; and
WHEREAS, Article 1 of the Legislative Agenda of the Democratic Party of Oregon for 2010 [PDF] calls for the repeal of Measure 36 and the legalization of same-sex marriage.
NOW, THEREFORE, WE RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. THAT we endorse the amendment or repeal of Measure 36, to the effect that same-sex couples have full and equal access to civil marriage throughout Oregon.
Section 2. THAT we strongly urge public office holders and candidates for public office across the state to endorse the same goal.
Section 3. THAT we shall strive to aid any future campaign to amend or repeal Measure 36, and to legalize same-sex marriage, according to our ability at such time.
Section 4. THAT we shall send copies of this resolution to the Klamath Falls Herald and News for publication, to all members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and to every county Democratic central committee in Oregon.
ADOPTED on the __th day of _____, 2010.