Local Advocacy Groups Call For Campaign Finance Reform

Citizen and consumer advocacy groups are calling on U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly to co-sponsor a constitutional amendment they say would overturn the negative impact of controversial Supreme Court decisions on campaign finance. 

The proposed amendment would empower Congress and the states to regulate and limit election spending.  It’s in response to two U.S. Supreme Court decisions – Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission – that significantly loosened campaign donation limits. 

Donnelly says he supports the amendment.

“From everything I’ve seen, Citizens United has been detrimental to our country," Donnely said, "and at this time, I do plan to vote yes on that.”

Citizens advocacy group Common Cause Indiana director Julia Vaughn says Donnelly’s support isn’t enough – she says he needs to be a leader on the issue.

“There is widespread agreement among Hoosiers of all political stripes that the Supreme Court is very misguided in their view that corporations enjoy the same rights as people and money equals speech,” she said.

Vaughn says the amendment, which is scheduled for a vote in the Senate next week, is a necessary first step towards restoring what she calls “sanity” to the campaign finance system.