HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Reso 2016-01 RESOLUTION 2016-01
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CATHEDRAL
CITY, CALIFORNIA, SUPPORTING A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
THAT STATES CORPORATIONS ARE NOT PEOPLE AND CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS ARE NOT EQUIVALENT TO FREE SPEECH
WHEREAS, historically corporations were created as artificial entities
subordinate to our democracy, yet the U.S. Supreme Court has granted corporations
personhood status, free speech and other protections guaranteed to living humans by
the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment, and the Cathedral City City Council
considers it to be its right and duty to assert that corporations are not natural persons
with human rights; and
WHEREAS, when freedom to speak is equated with freedom to spend money,
millions of people who have less money are disenfranchised, thus denying their full
rights to free speech; and
WHEREAS, Justice Stevens; writing in dissent in Citizens United, stated:
"...corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, and no
desires. Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be
sure, and their "personhood" often serves as a useful legal fiction-, But they are not
themselves members of "We the People" by whom and for whom our Constitution was
established"; and
WHEREAS, United States Supreme Court Justice Stevens also observed in
Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC (2000) that "money is property, it is not
speech".
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CATHEDRAL
CITY DOES HEREBY RESOLVE that we support a Constitutional amendment that
states corporations are not people and campaign contributions are not equivalent to
free speech.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 13th day of January, 2016.
Stanley E. Henry, May.
ATT. T:
Gary F. Howell, City ,erk w
APPRO . • 'S •
Eric Vail, ity A •rney
I, GARY F. HOWELL, CITY CLERK of the City of Cathedral City, do hereby
certify that the foregoing Resolution was introduced and adopted at a regular meeting
1 by the following vote:
of the City Council held on the 13 day of January, 6
Y Y rY� Y 9
AYES: Council Members Aguilar, Carnevale and Kaplan; Mayor Pro Tem
Pettis and Mayor Henry
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
_ _
-Gary , Newell, City t lerk