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JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING APPLICATION TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES CALLING A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION REGARDING THE STATUS OF CORPORATIONS AS PEOPLE AND THE ROLE OF MONEY IN THE ELECTION PROCESS
WHEREAS, the rights of corporations and artificial entities are subordinate to the rights of natural persons, as corporations and artificial entities are the creation of government for the purpose of promoting the life, health and general welfare of the public and may be regulated, modified or abolished by the government to accomplish that purpose; and
WHEREAS,  the spending of money to influence elections is not speech under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and may be reasonably regulated by federal, state and local government in order to prevent the appearance or reality of corruption and to promote a greater balance, participation and equality of citizens in the electoral process; and
WHEREAS,  we believe the United States Constitution must be amended to safeguard access to the political process for all citizens of the United States regardless of income; and
WHEREAS,  under the United States Constitution, Article V, the Congress of the United States, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to the United States Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments that, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the United States Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the Legislature of Maine respectfully applies to the Congress of the United States to call a convention for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution, in 2 sections, that reads:
1. The rights of corporations and artificial entities are subordinate to the rights of natural persons. Corporations and artificial entities are the creation of government for the purpose of promoting the life, health and general welfare of the public and may be regulated, modified or abolished by the government to accomplish that purpose.
2. The spending of money to influence elections is not speech under the first article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States and may be reasonably regulated by federal, state and local government in order to prevent the appearance or reality of corruption and to promote a greater balance, participation and equality of citizens in the electoral process; and be it further
RESOLVED: That, for the purposes of calling a constitutional convention, this application must be adjudged as covering the same subject matter as any other application from another state addressing any of the following: safeguarding access to the political process for all natural persons who are citizens, abridging corporate constitutional rights, using money to influence politics and overturning the United States Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), irrespective of the terms of those applications, and must be aggregated with them for the purpose of reaching the two-thirds of states necessary to require the calling of a convention for proposing amendments; and be it further
RESOLVED: That this application by this body constitutes a continuing application in accordance with the United States Constitution, Article V until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have made similar application pursuant to Article V but, if Congress proposes an amendment to the United States Constitution identical in subject matter to that contained in this Joint Resolution, this application for a constitutional convention is no longer of any force or effect; and be it further
RESOLVED: That this application is void, rescinded and of no effect in the event that such a convention is not limited to such a specific and exclusive purpose; and be it further
RESOLVED: That this body proposes that the legislatures of the several states comprising the United States apply to the Congress requesting the enactment of an appropriate amendment to the United States Constitution or requiring the Congress to call a constitutional convention for proposing such an amendment to the United States Constitution; and be it further
RESOLVED: That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the Secretary of the Senate and presiding officers of both houses of the legislature of each of the several states in the nation, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate and each member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.