Will Rhode Island Lead a Revolt Against Special Interest Money in Congress?
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee of the Rhode Island House of Representatives heard testimony on H-8186 - a Joint Resolution introduced by Rep. David Segal and co-sponsored by Representatives Fierro, Ajello, Lima and Handy that calls for a federal Constitutional Convention to break Congress' dependence on special interest money.
One of the foremost American public intellectuals on the Internet and Democracy - Harvard Law Professor Lawrence "Larry" Lessig - came to Rhode Island to testify in support of the Joint Resolution. He is the founder of Creative Commons and author of “Code,” “The Future of Ideas,” and “Free Culture.”
I interviewed Lessig about his testimony and about his mission to remove the influence of money from politics through CallAConvention.org. Watch the interview here.
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Lessig's call for a Constitutional Convention is certainly timely in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Citizens United case. While getting 34 state legislatures to call for a federal constitutional convention might seem like a difficult task, getting Congress to limit campaign contributions is astronomically more difficult.
Rhode Island was the last state to sign onto the Bill of Rights and, if it passes H-8186, Rhode Island could become the first state to call for a Constitutional Convention in an effort to break Congress' dependence on special interest money.
To join the movement to call for a Constitutional Convention, click here.
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