Initiative 735: urging constitution amendment
Election Results
| Option | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 1,710,898 | 62.87% |
| No | 1,010,283 | 37.13% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About the Measure
Washington voters can ask their elected representatives to do something about large donations to political campaigns this November, but their lawmakers won’t have to say “yes.”
Initiative 735 would “urge” Washington’s congressional delegation to propose a constitutional amendment that says rights belong only to individuals, not to corporations, and that freedom of speech doesn’t cover spending money.
If Congress sends an amendment to the state, the initiative also urges the Legislature to ratify it.
There are no penalties in the initiative for federal or state lawmakers for not supporting such an amendment.
It’s aimed at reversing the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that critics say is pumping unlimited cash from wealthy donors into campaigns. Congress won’t act on its own to overturn the decision with a constitutional amendment, I-735 supporters say, so members need a push.
Opponents say such an amendment could lead to government censorship and Congress shouldn’t mess with the First Amendment.
Complete Coverage
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