HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1632        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 63

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul W. Mark

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying proposal for constitutional amendment:

Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution to declare that corporations are not people, money is not speech.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Paul W. Mark

2nd Berkshire

1/19/2017

Jeffrey N. Roy

10th Norfolk

 

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

 

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/30/2017

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

 

Adam G. Hinds

Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden

2/1/2017

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex

2/1/2017

Gailanne M. Cariddi

1st Berkshire

2/1/2017

Jay R. Kaufman

15th Middlesex

2/2/2017

Lori A. Ehrlich

8th Essex

2/2/2017

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

2/3/2017

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

2/3/2017


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1632        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 63

By Mr. Mark of Peru, a petition (accompanied by proposal for constitutional amendment, House, No. 63) of Paul W. Mark and others for a legislative amendment to the Constitution to declare rights afforded to the human inhabitants of the Commonwealth are not applicable to corporations, limited liability companies or any other corporate entities.  The Judiciary.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 933 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution to declare that corporations are not people, money is not speech.

 

A majority of all the members elected to the Senate and House of Representatives, in joint session, hereby declares it to be expedient to alter the Constitution by the adoption of the following Article of Amendment, to the end that it may become a part of the Constitution [if similarly agreed to in a joint session of the next General Court and approved by the people at the state election next following]:
 

ARTICLE OF AMENDMENT.
 

Corporations are not people and may be regulated. The rights afforded to the human inhabitants of the commonwealth, under this constitution, are not applicable to corporations, limited liability companies or any other corporate entity. Any references to persons, citizens, inhabitants, subjects, men, people, individuals or like terms in this constitution, are not to be construed in any way to be referring to a corporation, limited liability company or any other corporate entities.

Corporations, limited liability companies and any other corporate entity shall do business in this state under the regulation of laws passed by the general court which shall set the rights of such entities to do business to promote the common good and strengthen the social compact of this commonwealth.

Money is not free speech and may be regulated. To protect our political process and the functioning of government to serve in the best interests of the citizens of the commonwealth, money shall not be considered free speech. The general court shall have the power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents for any primary or election of a public official and for ballot measures. This shall include regulation of any advertising for or against any candidate in a primary or election for public office and any ballot measure.

Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed to restrain the liberty of the press.