THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER STEPHEN LEVIN

Dsf 410 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217 718 875 5200 250 Broadway, 1735 New York, NY 10007 212 788 7348 http://council.nyc.gov

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

January 4, 2012

Contact: Ben Petok Cell: 518.573.0745

COUNCILMEMBER LEVIN ALONG WITH PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS COLLEAGUES LEADS COUNCIL IN RESOUTION CALLING ON CONGRESS TO OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED AND RESTORE OUR GOVERNMENT TO THE PEOPLE Council Member Stephen Levin (D-Brooklyn) is proud to stand with his colleagues in the New York City Council Progressive Caucus to voice the concerns of New Yorkers and call on the United States Congress to take action on a Constitutional amendment to overrule the decision in Citizens United v. FEC. As Justice John Paul Stevens recognized in his dissent in the Citizens United decision, corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. Corporations help facilitate and structure the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their personhood often serves as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves members of We the People by whom and for whom our Constitution was established. It is beyond reproach that the United States Supreme Court has the audacity to find that corporations have the same rights as individuals. I am proud to represent the people of Brooklyn and to stand up for the voices of real citizens and not moneyed corporate interests, said Council Member Levin. We send members of our community to Congress to represent us, our voices, and our beliefs. I dont know anybody who agrees that a corporation is the same as a person and I am adamant in my belief, as are my constituents, that Congress must begin the process of amending the United States Constitution to represent that reality. The Progressive Caucus of the New York City Council, with the support of Speaker Christine Quinn, passed a resolution today calling on Congress to amend to the US Constitution to provide that corporations are not entitled to the entirety of protections or rights of natural persons. The Progressive Caucus believes that corporations should not share the same rights as people, that unlimited and unreported corporate donations meant to sway the electoral process should not be considered freedom of speech, and that the government should regulate the raising and spending of money by corporations intended to influence elections. The Caucus further believes that we cannot allow corporate money to manipulate our democracy. # # #