Gov. Malloy’s Veto Of Disclosure Bill Will Keep Connecticut Elections In The Dark
New York, NY -- Today, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy vetoed House Bill 5556, which would have strengthened Connecticut’s laws on disclosure of political spending. In response, Demos President Miles Rapoport, a former legislator and Secretary of the State of Connecticut, issued the following statement:
“The Governor’s veto statement argues that H.B. 5556 is unconstitutional under the First Amendment, but this argument is simply incorrect. The Supreme Court has made clear on numerous occasions, including in Citizens United itself, that disclosure laws are on firm constitutional footing."
“Demos is deeply disappointed that Governor Malloy has vetoed House Bill 5556, which would given Connecticut one of the strongest campaign-finance disclosure laws in the nation. Strengthened disclosure is much needed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v FEC, which struck down a long-standing ban on corporate spending in the electoral arena.
“Since that decision, there has been a massive influx of private and corporate money into elections at every level of state and federal government. Disclosure laws in place at the time Citizens United was handed down were full of loopholes and did not anticipate the flood of corporate money that Citizens United would unleash. Lawmakers, shareholders, and the voting public have been in the dark regarding the sources of the increased political spending.
“The disclosure legislation that Governor Malloy has now vetoed would have taken a tremendous stride toward restoring the transparency necessary for fair elections and would have provided much-needed information to voters and shareholders.
“The Governor’s veto statement argues that H.B. 5556 is unconstitutional under the First Amendment, but this argument is simply incorrect. The Supreme Court has made clear on numerous occasions, including in Citizens United itself, that disclosure laws are on firm constitutional footing.
“Demos urges the Governor to call a special session and work with legislators to see if common ground can be found that will allow Connecticut to close the loopholes in existing disclosure laws that allow business corporations and wealthy individuals to spend anonymously in Connecticut elections. Connecticut should take the lead in restoring transparency and accountability in our election system.”
To contact Miles Rapoport please see the contact above.
READ: Letter Urging Governor Malloy Of Connecticut To Sign Disclosure Bill
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