Citizens United and Missouri

Although the Citizens United decision was handed down in 2010, the full effects are only beginning to be felt across the country.  Recently, major media outlets have cast a spotlight on Montana as Citizens United "dismantles" their political system, which was based on a general ban on corporate funds in politics.

Montana's ban had stood since 1912, when it was created to bar the flood of dollars from the booming copper industry.  The ban has been overturned by the Citizens decision, prompting a backlash from Montana citizens, the press, and even Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger.

 

What about Missouri?  Does Citizens impact any of our existing state laws? The simple answer is "no."  Even prior to Citizens, Missouri's state laws imposed no cap on campaign contributions from any source.

In addition, the federal campaign restrictions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which were overturned in the Citizens decision, "do not apply if the person is a candidate for state or local office and the fundraising or spending refers only to that state or local candidate or any other candidate for that same state or local office, or both."

So, even from the start, Missouri has lacked the caps on campaign contributions that Montana is so sore to lose.  Has the lack of limits damaged democracy in our state?

In a recent KCUR interview, Missouri State University political science professor George Connor said, “There's been a Pandora's box opened up with respect to spending,” but he also points out that the lid to the box was "always a bit ajar."  Connor points to donations topping $750,000, but argues that more legislation is not the answer.

Missouri is rural and "public-spirited" as Connor points out; we're not known to be a cesspool of corruption.  How the increasingly rapid growth in contributions and significant changes in legislation affect our democracy is an issue with no clear answer.  Perhaps, in the future, we will find ourselves "standing with Montanans," or we may look back, glad to see the restrictions disappearing,