Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

HF 276

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 04/02/2013 04:21pm

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.
Line numbers 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 3.1 3.2

A joint resolution
requesting that Congress propose a constitutional amendment and, if Congress does
not propose an amendment, applying to Congress to call a constitutional convention
to propose an amendment clarifying that the rights protected under the Constitution
are the rights of natural persons and not the rights of artificial entities and that
spending money to influence elections is not speech under the First Amendment.

WHEREAS, under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, the Congress,
whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to the
Constitution; and

WHEREAS, under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, the Congress, on
the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for
proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that shall be valid to all intents
and purposes if ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions
in three-fourths thereof, as one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by Congress;
NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it requests that
Congress propose an amendment to the Constitution that shall substantially read as follows:

"(1) The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural
persons only.

(2) Artificial entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities,
established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights
under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or
local law.

(3) The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal,
State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.

(4) Federal, State, and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and
expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures, to ensure that all
citizens, regardless of their economic status, have access to the political process, and that no
person gains, as a result of their money, substantially more access or ability to influence in any
way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure.

(5) Federal, State, and local government shall require that any permissible contributions
and expenditures be publicly disclosed.

(6) The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be
speech under the 1st Amendment.

(7) Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed to abridge the freedom of
the press."

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if Congress does not propose the amendment language
or substantially similar amendment language as contained in this resolution, the Legislature of the
State of Minnesota applies to the Congress of the United States to call a constitutional convention
for the purpose of proposing the amendment language or substantially similar amendment language
as contained in this resolution as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the State of Minnesota and the
people of Minnesota demand that if Congress does not propose the amendment language in this
resolution and if at least two-thirds of state legislatures have applied to Congress to call for a
constitutional convention to adopt the same or substantially similar constitutional amendment
language contained in this resolution, then the Congress must exercise its constitutional duty to
call a constitutional convention, and that the constitutional convention shall be called within six
months from the date that at least two-thirds of state legislatures have made the same or similar
application to Congress; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the State of Minnesota calls on other
states to join with the Legislature of the State of Minnesota in this action by passing the same
or similar resolutions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of Minnesota is directed to
prepare copies of this resolution and transmit them to the Speaker and the Clerk of the United
States House of Representatives, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the
United States Secretary of State, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.