Missoula Area News

Missoulians rally against corporate personhood

Posted: Jan 21, 2013 3:25 PM by Irina Cates - MTN News

MISSOULA - Missoulians rallied Monday morning, saying corporations are not people and money is not the same thing as speech.

The 2010 U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United decision that found corporations have the same consitutional rights as people and determined that spending money was a form of free speech, a ruling that made for even freer corporate spending in elections.

Move to Amend is a national coalition made up of organizations and citizens who want to end corporate rule.

In November, most of Montanans voted for Initiative 166, a referendum stating corporations shouldn't legally be considered people.

"We want a level playing field for our politics. That money shouldn't dominate it and that we need an amendment that says that the Citizens United decision does not stand," said Sue Kirchmyer, a member of Missoula Moves to Amend.

The Missoula Moves to Amend coalition is holding a meeting on Wednesday at the University of Montana's Gallagher Business Building at 7 p.m.