Utah Becomes the 23rd State to Call on Congress to Return to States the Power to Regulate Election Spending
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – In a significant move to reclaim state authority over election spending, today Utah became the 23rd state to urge Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that returns the power to regulate election spending to the states. Passage of S.J.R. 7 in the legislature reflects overwhelming support from Utah’s voters to re-establish the power to regulate spending in their elections, a power that had been dismantled by decades of Supreme Court overreach.
Support for the resolution in Utah reflects national trends regarding the desire to protect state sovereignty and defend elections from foreign influence, particularly when it comes to money in politics. Last month, a survey released by Pew Research Center found that the role of money in politics ranked as the number one problem facing Americans, surpassing issues like healthcare costs, inflation, and the federal deficit. Seven in 10 Americans across the political spectrum—including 66% of Republicans and 78% of Democrats—conveyed in the survey that the role of money in politics is a “very big problem.”
“Decades of misguided Supreme Court rulings have stripped Americans of the power to regulate political spending how we see fit, leading to billions of dollars in election spending from powerful domestic and foreign sources,” said Jeff Clements, CEO of American Promise, the organization that is behind the constitutional amendment movement. “America’s founders envisioned that the people’s representatives should decide how best to protect our elections from domination by money and powerful interests.”
Clements added “unelected judges in Washington have made a mess of American elections and government by unleashing unlimited money in our elections. This is not the system our founders envisioned, and it is fundamentally out of step with the wishes of most Americans today. We join the people and legislature of Utah, along with nearly two dozen other states, in celebrating today’s milestone. It is time for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to secure our freedom to regulate election spending in ways that reflect our values and protect the sovereignty of our states and country.”
Election spending has surged dramatically in recent years. Spending in the 2024 presidential cycle eclipsed the record set just four years prior to that in 2020. Down-ballot races had until recent cycles received little notice beyond their states. However, upcoming state Supreme Court races in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are being overwhelmed with millions of dollars from billionaires. Furthermore, prior court decisions have led to the explosion of dark money groups, which can serve as a conduit for foreign interference in elections. A report released in December by American Promise catalogued the tactics that foreign-backed actors and businesses deploy to abuse the system to exert influence.
About American Promise:
American Promise is committed to a singular vision: ratifying the For Our Freedom Amendment to empower the states and Congress to decide whether and how to regulate political spending, ensuring every American voice counts.
