‘Here We Go Again’ With ‘Silencing Peoples’ Voices’

Voters last week emphatically passed the “Montana Plan,” a ballot item that would ban corporations from spending money on local, state and federal elections.  

The victory (which voters delivered with a 65% to 34% margin) was less than short-lived — the Montana GOP and a smattering of other groups sued to enjoin the measure 18 minutes before the Associated Press even called the race, per the Montana Free Press.

“Here we go again with regard to silencing peoples’ voices,” Nancy Keenan, the former executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, told TPM.

The groups claim a myriad of constitutional violations, including of their freedom of speech. Their suit heavily cites Citizens United, the infamous 2010 case in which the Roberts Court knocked down restrictions on corporate political spending and gave birth to a new era of huge sums poured into politics and sprawling dark money networks.