User Tools

Site Tools


amendment_language

In early August, PassMassAmendment submitted a petition to amend the Massachusetts Constitution. Here is the text of the 2017 PMA Petition Language, which is the same that we're currently using:

PassMassAmendment’s 2015 Initiative Petition
relative to corporate rights and political spending, for a constitutional amendment to the
Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
to declare that

"Corporations are not people and may be regulated. The General Court may limit political spending and contributions.”

The Constitution of the Commonwealth is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following Article of Amendment:


Section 1 - Corporations are not people and may be regulated. The rights afforded to the human inhabitants of this Commonwealth, under this Constitution, are not applicable to any corporation, corporate entity or artificial person. Any references to persons, citizens, inhabitants, subjects, men, women, people, individuals or like terms in this Constitution are not to be construed in any way to be referring to a corporation, corporate entity or artificial person. All corporations, corporate entities or artificial persons shall do business in Massachusetts under the regulation of laws passed by the Massachusetts General Court, which shall set the rights of such entities to do business to promote the common good and strengthen the social compact of this Commonwealth.


Section 2 - The Massachusetts General Court may regulate and set reasonable limits on all political contributions and expenditures, to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their economic status, have access to the political process, and that no individual gains more access or ability to influence in any way, the election of any candidate for public office, or any ballot measure. The Massachusetts General Court shall require that any and all permissible contributions and expenditures, including late donations, be publicly disclosed, in a timely manner, for the purpose of informing the people, before any vote is held.


Section 3 - Nothing contained in this Amendment shall be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.





Language_2015_version3.2.pdf

amendment_language.txt · Last modified: 2019/05/12 00:12 by admin