Mission Statement
“Citizens United” is shorthand for a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2010 that overturned a century of campaign finance regulations as an unconstitutional restriction of free speech. It enables money to dominate the public discourse about all manner of policies affecting the public good. Reverse Citizens United is a nonpartisan, grassroots Monroe County group dedicated to the reversal of that 2010 decision by means of legislative or judicial action or Constitutional amendment.
We organized in January, 2011 in response to the 5-4 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United. We support Justice Stevens’ minority opinion in that case, and work to reverse the majority decision.
To that end, we’ve collected thousands of signatures on a petition for a constitutional amendment to the effect that corporate rights and privileges are legislative, not constitutional (corporations are not people), and that campaign finance is subject to governmental regulation (campaign money is not constitutionally protected speech). Our city and county government have acknowledged these petitions in framing resolutions adopted unanimously in support of a constitutional amendment.
As part of our educational campaign we have sponsored many events such as Jim Allison’s theatrical readings of supreme court issues, films screenings, book signings, and panel discussions.
Reverse Citizens United 