Local Groups Propose Solutions to Challenges Faced 5 Years after Citizens United Ruling

Today marked 5 years since the US Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Citizens United vs. the Federal Elections Commission.  Several community organizations held an event titled No More Tears: The Solutions are Here, to describe how big money in elections have impacted their goals across a variety of issues:  Common Cause, Colorado Ethics Watch, SEIU, Move to Amend, Clean Slate Now, Greenpeace, Food and Water Watch, MoveOn, Environment Colorado, Colorado Progressive Coalition, 350 Colorado, and Conservation Colorado.

In a 2014 report by The Colorado Public Interest Research Group (COPIRG) titled THE DOMINANCE OF BIG MONEY IN THE 2014 CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS, the group found that 7of every 10 individual contribution dollars to federal candidates, parties, PACs and Super PACs in the 2013-2014 election cycle came from donors who gave $200 or more. Candidates alone got 84 percent of their individual contributions from large donors.

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The coalition unveiled what they named a Faces of Democracy Wall , a wall of pictures of Coloradans holding messages about how big money in politics affects them.  They say the wall will be used “to build the will among lawmakers to protect the individual voice in an election.”

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