Friend,

Thanks to a citizen-powered push for action, the New Hampshire Senate is scheduled to vote today on a bill that addresses pay-to-play politics and partisan gerrymandering. 

How did the bill make it this far through the legislative process? The people of New Hampshire reached out and let their state legislators know that getting big money out of politics is a cross-partisan issue that affects them, their families and other citizens across the country. 

Their call to action means New Hampshire soon may become the 20th state calling for a constitutional amendment to limit big money in politics—a history-making moment! (Keep an eye out—we’ll let you know if it passes later today.)

Like those in New Hampshire, citizen leaders across the country are the critical force that will advance and ultimately win the movement for the 28th Amendment and assure that our government represents We the People—not big money, corporations, unions or special interests.

Let’s build on this success!

From the (Seattle) Stranger: The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s political action committee has collected $780,000 so far from corporate donors to promote its preferred candidates in this fall’s City Council election. According to spokesperson Alicia Teel, the Chamber wants a realigned City Council because “our current council has failed to make progress on important issues like transportation, homelessness, and public safety—and voters want to see a change.” Donors and amounts given so far include Amazon ($200,000), Expedia ($50,000), Vulcan Incorporated ($50,000), the Washington Association of Realtors ($25,000), Alaska Airlines ($20,000), Comcast Cable ($15,000), the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association ($15,000), and Puget Sound Energy ($15,000). Read more.

From Harvard Political Review: A “democracy voucher” program that Seattle voters approved in 2015 is part of the city’s experiment to increase political engagement and reduce the power of big money in politics through a system of public funding for political campaigns. Though the program was seen as a success in 2017—when $54 million of vouchers was distributed—it’s too early to know if the vouchers represent a long-term solution to some of the problems plaguing American democracy. Read more.

From the Center for Responsive Politics: Initial campaign finance reports show that 2020 presidential candidates so far have raised nearly $220 million. The Center for Responsive Politics created an infographic highlighting the amount each candidate has raised through a committee and from outside sources such as Super PACs. Read more. 

From the (Charleston, SC) Post and Courier:  A newly formed nonprofit group, the Charleston Coalition for Kids, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertisements for the 2018 Charleston County School Board race. The coalition’s ads backed four candidates in the race, all of whom won. The full extent of the coalition’s fundraising and spending are unknown because, under South Carolina campaign law, nonprofit groups are not required to file the same ethics reports as candidate campaigns. Read more. 

From the Norwalk (OH) Reflector: In a letter to the editor, American Promise supporter Ginger Packert of Norwalk urges Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio to become a sponsor of the 28th Amendment, soon to be introduced in the U.S. Senate as the Democracy for All Amendment. “We want our elected officials to listen to ‘We, the People’ rather than wealthy individuals, corporations and special interest groups,” Packert says. She also urges her fellow Ohio citizens to call Sen. Portman’s office and encourage him to support the amendment. Read more.

From CBS News: The 19th Amendment, which guaranteed American women the right to vote, celebrated its 100th birthday this week. The 19th Amendment emerged out of the Progressive Era in American politics, a period of increased social activism and economic reform during the first two decades of the 20th century. Some political observers say that amendment launched a new era of U.S. politics that includes the civil rights legislation in the 1960s and the current rights movement for Americans who are gay or transgender. Read more. 

June 12, St. Paul, MN: Join Vicki Barnes, volunteer Minnesota state coordinator for American Promise and Take Back Our Republic, and Richard Painter, author of Taxation Only With Representation and Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota, for a discussion of “Money in Politics: Restoring Fair Representation to the People.” At this free public event, they will outline how corporate spending in elections has limited our market choices, and how citizen leaders can work to reduce big money in politics. Noon-1 p.m., Landmark Center. Learn more. 

June 30, Peterborough, NH: American Promise President Jeff Clements will be the first in a series of weekly speakers in the Monadnock Summer Lyceum at Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church. His presentation, “Equal Citizens or Oligarchy: New Hampshire and the Cross-partisan Movement for the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution” runs from 11 a.m. to noon and will be rebroadcast at 11 a.m. on WSMN 1590 AM on the following Sunday, and on WUML 91.5 FM the following Wednesday. Learn more.