Montana ballot could ban corporate election spending, testing post-Citizens United limits
Montanans will vote in November on Initiative 194, which would prohibit corporations, unions and nonprofit groups from spending on state elections, marking a potential first in the nation.
Montana is preparing to hold a November vote on Initiative 194, dubbed the “Montana Plan,” which would bar all “artificial persons”—including corporations, unions and nonprofit political groups—from spending money on state elections. The initiative seeks to work around the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision by targeting the powers state governments grant to corporations rather than overturning the ruling itself.
Legal architect Tom Moore of the Center for American Progress leads the effort, which has attracted support from Democrat congressional candidate Sam Forstag and former Republican governor Marc Racicot, while business interests like the Montana Chamber of Commerce argue it is unconstitutional. Similar campaigns are active in more than 30 states, and Hawaii recently enacted a comparable law. Experts warn the outcome could set a precedent that forces the Supreme Court to revisit corporate free-speech protections, though scholars remain split on the likelihood of success before a conservative-leaning court. If approved, the measure would not limit wealthy individuals but would end anonymous corporate spending, a change many voters, including conservative Steve Hadnagy, view as essential to curb outside influence.
Why it matters
The vote could reshape how corporate money influences U.S. elections and trigger a Supreme Court showdown.
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