In November 2016, Washington became the 18th state to officially call for a constitutional amendment to overturn the 2010 Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.

Washingtonians passed Initiative 735 by 63 percent statewide, a super majority, and with 57.41 percent in the 8th Congressional District, 69.08 percent in the 9th Congressional District. This initiative calls on present and future Washington state delegations to the federal Congress to propose, then ratify, a joint resolution for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to overturn the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United decision. Citizens United opened the flood gates for Big Money to dominate our elections.

Nationally, 55 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed onto H.J.R. 48, the bill leading to the amendment which will overturn Citizens United; our state’s Initiative 735 is closely aligned with H.J.R. 48. Five of our state’s 10 representatives are among these co-signers.

Not only do we need to convince more members of Congress to co-sponsor H.J.R. 48, we also need to find a U.S. senator to introduce a companion bill to H.J.R. 48 into the U.S. Senate. This would be an auspicious task for Sen. Patty Murray (D) and/or Sen. Maria Cantwell (D) and would certainly prove that they work diligently to carry out the will of the people who voted them into office.

If you agree that Big Money, multi-national corporations, and billionaires now wield too much power over our elections, please contact these senators’ offices and ask them to follow the will of Washingtonians by introducing into the Senate the companion bill to H.J.R. 48.

Bob Clement, Milton