Pasadena City Resolution Challenges Citizens United

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October 1, 2013

John Smith (562) 237-3482

Pasadena City Resolution Challenges Citizens United

PASADENA – The Pasadena City Council has resoundingly passed a resolution supporting a Constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision. The council meeting, held on Monday, September 30, was attended by about 40 supporters of the resolution from Occupy Democracy Pasadena, as well as Common Cause, and other supporters from as far away as the City of Upland.

The council voted 6 to 0 in favor of the resolution, with 2 members abstaining. Mayor Bill Bogard led the council in voting Yes, saying he believed the issue was about local control of city elections. Vice mayor Jackie Robinson said that even though the Court’s decision was a federal matter, “We have a role to play.” Council member Margaret McAustin agreed that the resolution was about local control stating, “We have to take a stand.”

Patrick Briggs and Maddie Gavel-Briggs, of Occupy Democracy Pasadena, led the effort to bring the resolution to the attention of the council. Pasadena now joins with over 500 cities and 16 states nationwide, and 50 cities in California, calling for an amendment to the Constitution.

Common Cause organizer John Smith, who worked on the resolution with ODP, said that “the amendment is all about clarifying the Constitution to say that the people, through their elected officials, have the right to regulate all of their elections, including at the federal, state and local levels.”

To learn more about Common Cause’s National drive to overturn Citizens United, visit our site here:

http://www.onlypeoplearepeople.org