Council Favors Campaign Finance Reform - What About Local Changes?

This week the Tacoma City Council took a stand (albeit by a divided vote) on the issue of campaign finance reform and corporate political spending. The conversation among council members was divided over (a) whether the matter is appropriate for the City Council to take an official stand on at all, and (b) whether this is the appropriate stand to take.

The resolution ultimately passed in a five to four vote, with this language:

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TACOMA:
That the City of Tacoma calls on the Washington State Legislature and the United States Congress to initiate steps to amend the United States Constitution with provisions that clearly state that:

 
1. Corporations are not human beings, and only human beings are endowed with Constitutional rights.

 
2. Contributions and expenditures for political purposes are not constitutionally-protected speech, and that, therefore, regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech.

 
3. Congress and the states shall have the power to regulate contributions and expenditures for campaigns and ballot measures, and to require public disclosure of the sources of such contributions and expenditures.

Councilmember Boe made an interesting point, when he pointed out that nowhere in the resolution is there a mention of changes at the local level. Interesting question. If we’re going to ask for federal level changes, what local level changes could we consider?