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State Representative Ryan Winkler
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7026
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
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MN CHAMBER ROLLS CORPORATE TROJAN HORSE INTO STATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS
ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit yesterday in U.S. District Court that seeks to dramatically expand the influence of corporate interests in Minnesota elections.
“As if last month’s Supreme Court ruling wasn’t enough, the Minnesota Chamber this week rolled another Trojan Horse of corporate interests into Minnesota’s elections system," said state Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL – Golden Valley).
“If this lawsuit is successful, it will further dampen the voices of individual Minnesota voters, and tip the balance of political influence to corporations and special interest groups.”
In January the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 100 years of First Amendment law, ruling that limits on corporate independent campaign expenditures were unconstitutional. A Washington Post poll published today showed 8 out of 10 Americans oppose the Court’s ruling – including 85 percent of Democrats and 76 percent of Republicans.
“Opening the door just a crack will allow the influence of corporate and special interests to significantly alter Minnesota’s political landscape,” said state Rep. Steve Simon (DFL – St. Louis Park). “Minnesotans of both parties are concerned any step in this direction will seriously damage the functional integrity of our elections.”
Still, against the wishes of Minnesota voters the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce wants to go one step farther. A lawsuit filed by the Chamber Tuesday calls for overturning Minnesota statute to allow corporations and special interest groups to contribute directly, without limit, to political parties and individual candidates.
“Widening the trough of corporate money flowing into the campaign coffers of individual candidates is special interest politics at its worst,” said Winkler. “Minnesotans want clean politics, and this suit attacks decades of work to improve our elections.”
Rep. Simon agreed, saying: “Everything Minnesota has done up until this point has put more power in the hands of individual voters, and narrowed the influence of special interest groups. What the Minnesota Chamber proposed yesterday would reverse that progress. It would be a big step in the wrong direction.”
Winkler and Simon have proposed legislation this session that would limit the influence of corporations and special interests in Minnesota elections.
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