Blog Posts > Organizations Debate Best Way to Take Money Out of Politics
September 11, 2018

Organizations Debate Best Way to Take Money Out of Politics

Marshall Parthenon – Tri-State Indivisible sponsored a debate Monday, with representatives from Wolf- Pac, the American Civil Liberties Union and West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy discussing removing money from politics. Read article.

“We want to propose an amendment to end the corrupting influence of money in politics and restore free and fair elections,” Samuel Fieldman, national counsel for Wolf- Pac, said.

Fieldman said the issue of the corrupting influence of money in politics is one which has enormous cross partisan support unlike any other convention efforts in the country.

“Think about the issue that’s most important to you,” Fieldman said. “Money in politics is the reason you’re not seeing progress on that issue. There is no other issue that brings the country together in this way.”

In order for Congress to propose a convention using Article V of the U.S. Constitution, 34 states must call for a convention on a specific issue. The issue would then be debated and voted on by delegates from each state, requiring a minimum of 38 positive votes to be ratified.

Vermont, California, Illinois, New Jersey and Rhode Island have passed a resolution calling for a state convention regarding money in politics.

“I’m unconvinced about the states’ ability to control the agenda of the convention,” Seth Distefano, outreach director of WV Center on Budget and Policy, said.

Distefano said he is concerned about the corrupting influence of money in politics, but he feels the Constitution provides a more secure way to limit that influence.

Distefano said to avoid the possibility of a runaway or creeping convention, in which delegates could act against the will of their states’ constituents to propose improper regulations, concerned citizens should become politically active in other ways to help make desired changes.

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