Sitka’s opposition to “corporate personhood” has been formally entered into the Congressional Record.
Alaska Sen. Mark Begich asked for Sitka’s resolution to be entered into the official proceedings of the United States Congress during a floor speech on July 17th.
Begich was speaking in support of the so-called DISCLOSE Act, which stands for “Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections.” The bill was introduced in the senate in 2010 by New York Sen. Charles Schumer, in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United.
Here’s what Sen. Begich said:
Sen. Begich – The Citizens United case, that extended free-speech rights to corporations as if they are people. Whoever thought corporate personhood would become part of our vocabulary? In fact, Alaskans are concerned about this. Just last week the City and Borough of Sitka passed a resolution in opposition to corporate personhood, and I ask unanimous consent to enter this resolution into the record from a small community in Alaska, but concerned about the issue.
Sen. Franken – Without objection.
Acting senate president Al Franken, of Minnesota, made things official.
View Sen. Begich’s full speech here.
The Sitka Assembly passed the resolution during its regular meeting on July 10, at the request of a local group, Alaskans Against the Corporate Abuse of Power. According to the Move to Amend website, 137 communities around the country have passed similar resolutions, and almost 220,000 people have signed a petition supporting an amendment to guarantee constitutional rights only for individuals.
The Sitka assembly’s vote was unanimous.
Sen. Begich, by the way, delivered his speech at 11 PM in Washington DC, to a mostly-empty senate chamber – a common way for legislators to enter their remarks into the record.
