Today we celebrate an awesome victory led by the citizens of New Hampshire, who have worked tirelessly to pass cross-partisan legislation calling for an end to the big money, pay-to-play political system that plagues the integrity of our democracy.
On June 6, 2019, the New Hampshire Senate approved HB 504, a resolution calling on Congress to pass a Constitutional amendment to limit big money in politics and assure that American representation belongs to citizens—not corporations, unions or wealthy special interests.
With approval from the New Hampshire House and Senate, HB 504 makes New Hampshire the 20th state to call for this Constitutional amendment.
A Citizen-Led Victory
This strong resolution reflects the good work of FixItAmerica.org and American Promise and the determination of the people of New Hampshire. NH Voters Restoring Democracy, a grassroots group of citizen activists, worked tirelessly with New Hampshire legislators to call for an end to the corrupting influence of big and secret money in politics.
After more than 80 cities and towns across the state called for this resolution, New Hampshire elected officials showed their commitment to fighting for their constituents by passing this historic bill.
New Hampshire citizen leader Corinne Dodge shares the determination she and her fellow citizens feel about this critical issue. “We in New Hampshire know well that we must keep working until HB 504 has completely passed and been signed by our governor, and then we must continue to push the federal government to do its part until the 28th Amendment is ultimately passed and ratified,” Corinne says. “A Constitutional amendment is a difficult, methodical and time-consuming process—a process our ancestors had to work through to pass Constitutional amendments to allow women to vote and slavery to be abolished. We can and must do the same in order to protect the integrity of democracy for our children.”
Watch this powerful video to learn why Corinne has fought tirelessly for this issue.
Cross-Partisan Action, Halfway to the Amendment
HB 504 gives the 28th Amendment more than half of the 38 states needed to ratify a Constitutional amendment.
In addition to its success as a citizen-led victory, the passage of HB 504 represents an excellent example of cross-partisan action. “To date, 82 New Hampshire municipalities have called for a Constitutional amendment allowing limits on political spending—and 50 of those towns are ‘red,’” says John Pudner, Executive Director of Take Back Our Republic, an organization dedicated to transparency in election financing.
Ready to make your state the 21st to call for the amendment? Here’s how you can get in on the action.