Supreme Court: Citizens United Applies to Montana

image
Published: 25 Jun, 2012
1 min read

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled on the side of three corporations, reversing Montana's 1912 limit on corporate campaign spending.  Today's decision not only strengthens the 2010 Citizens United decision, but also affirms that it applies to the state of Montana. In defense of the corporations, lead attorney James Bopp stated:

 "If Montana can ban core political speech because of Montana's unique characteristics, free speech will be seriously harmed. Speakers will be silenced because of corruption by others over a century ago."

The decision was split along ideological lines, with the 4 liberal justices dissenting, asking the court to reconsider the 2012 ruling because of the huge impact corporate finance has played in the electoral process since the January 2010 ruling.

Justice Breyer wrote the dissent, arguing that the political landscape in Montana gives the state a "compelling interest" in limiting independent expenditures by corporations:

Thus, Montana’s experience, like considerable experience elsewhere since the Court’s decision in Citizens United, casts grave doubt on the Court’s supposition that independent expenditures do not corrupt or appear to do so.

The Supreme Court's decision can be found here.

You Might Also Like

Hillcrest
'Build, Baby, Build!' is NOT the Answer to Housing Crises
Can San Diego build its way out of its three-part housing crisis – supply, affordability and homelessness? Some of elected officials think so and are leading the charge. I have been in the real estate industry for 50-plus years, and I say they are on the wrong track....
27 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
The U.S. has entered Day 22 of the latest government shutdown with no end in sight. As pundits expect it to surpass the 35-day record set during Trump’s first term, a new Gallup poll shows voters’ approval of Congress has plummeted in the last month. Yet, for congressional leaders, there isn’t any urgency to re-open the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries trade jabs back and forth in the media, but the blame game continues to be prioritized over solutions....
22 Oct, 2025
-
5 min read
Proposition 50 voter guide
California Prop 50: Partisan Power Play or Necessary Counterpunch?
November 4 marks a special election for what has become the most controversial ballot measure in California in recent memory: Proposition 50, which would circumvent congressional districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission for a legislative-drawn map....
01 Oct, 2025
-
9 min read