House State Administration panel holds hearing on HJ 11 urging constitutional amendment to curb corporate election spending

HELENA — The House State Administration Committee opened a hearing on House Joint Resolution 11 on the floor of the Montana Legislature, where the resolution’s sponsor and a broad group of proponents urged Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Citizens United.

Representative Staffman, the sponsor (House District 59), told the committee HJ 11 would "call on the United States Congress to consider a constitutional amendment" to address unlimited spending by corporations, unions, political action committees and super PACs in federal elections. "We're flooded with money. A lot of it is dark money," Staffman said during the sponsor's opening remarks, citing a sharp rise in outside spending in recent cycles.

Supporters who testified in person and by remote connection told the committee the measure is needed to restore citizen influence in elections and to reduce the volume of political advertising and outside spending. Derf Johnson of the Montana Environmental Information Center…