John, I’d like to tell you about the state I call my home.

I’m from Montana, also known as “Big Sky Country.” Here, we have a lot of pride in our home, from our mountains and plains, to our ranching and farming — but also in our long history of fighting corruption and prioritizing people over profit.

Today is the anniversary of Montana gaining statehood and becoming a beacon for progress across the country, and we’re celebrating with our appeal to defeat Citizens United, here and everywhere.

At the turn of the 19th century, Montanans were weighed down by an oppressive corporate force. A copper mining company had near-complete control over their lives: not just as an employer representing 4 out of 5 jobs statewide, but as a stakeholder with unprecedented influence on local government, politics, and even the press.

That’s when neighbors, friends, and coworkers banded together to pass the Corrupt Practices Act in 1912, changing the entire state constitution to ensure that kind of control could never be held by one entity — and certainly not a corporate one — ever again.

Since then, we have voted consistently for the integrity of our elections and the freedom of our society from the greedy hands of corporate interests. That’s why we developed The Montana Plan, a ballot measure that draws from two centuries of unbroken Supreme Court case law, allowing individual states to redefine the powers of out-of-state corporations to exclude political spending.

Montana, once again, has an opportunity to be a beacon of hope for workers everywhere. When we make Citizens United irrelevant here, it sets a precedent for all 49 other states to do the same, and we’re fielding calls from across the country from those who want theirs to be next.

If we can make it on the ballot here, we will win. That’s why I’m personally asking for your help to get us there. Will you be part of the grassroots movement to defeat Citizens United by contributing $14 (for the 41st state) today?

In solidarity,

Jeff Mangan
Transparent Election Initiative
Former Montana Commissioner of Political Practices