87R6111 BHH-D     By: Anchia H.C.R. No. 53       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, We the people, the U.S. Congress, and the states   have a compelling interest in fostering robust political debate and   self-government, securing the liberty, political equality, and   equal free speech rights of our citizens, guarding against   corruption, protecting the integrity and fairness of elections, and   preserving federalism and the interest of the states; and          WHEREAS, Over time, the U.S. Supreme Court has gradually come   to equate unlimited spending to influence elections with "free   speech"; and          WHEREAS, The very privileges given to corporations or other   artificial entities that enhance their ability to attract capital   and maximize the return on their shareholders' investments also   give them financial capacity to engage in spending that drowns out   the individual voices of natural persons; and          WHEREAS, Corporations and other artificial entities may be   under the control of citizens of foreign countries who are   ineligible to participate in our elections; and          WHEREAS, Money from outside of Texas increasingly influences   the selection of candidates and election results in the state; and          WHEREAS, The influence of concentrated capital on our   political system, whether from wealthy individuals, corporations,   or other artificial entities, is damaging the interests of free   debate and speech for all citizens, weakening the rights of states   to self-governance in our federal system, increasing the risk of   systemic corruption, and forcing candidates and elected officials   to engage in a money arms race that distracts from their   responsibilities to their constituents; and          WHEREAS, As with previous occasions when the people have been   called to correct Supreme Court misinterpretations of the   Constitution, a constitutional amendment is necessary to correct   this situation; and          WHEREAS, Reasonable, content-neutral limits on the role of   money used to influence outcomes of elections are necessary to   secure the rights of all the citizens of our state to be represented   and to participate in elections and self-government regardless of   wealth, to protect the integrity of elections and government   against out-of-state and foreign interests and undue influence of   concentrated economic capital, and to advance other values   identified herein; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to   propose and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to   the United States Constitution to clarify that states may set   reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by   candidates and others to influence elections and ballot measures in   the states, and that Congress may set reasonable limits on the   raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence   federal elections, and that in so doing the states and Congress may   distinguish between natural persons and corporations and other   artificial entities created by law, including prohibiting such   entities from spending money to influence elections and ballot   measures; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official   copies of this resolution to the speaker and the minority leader of   the United States House of Representatives, to the majority and   minority leaders of the United States Senate, and to each member of   the Texas congressional delegation with the request that this   resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to   the Congress of the United States of America.