Initiative, Scheduled to Appear on the November 2018 Ballot, Would Strengthen Ethics & Campaign Finance Laws and Close Loopholes Allowing Unlimited Money in Elections
Jefferson City, MO – Today, End Citizens United (ECU) endorsed the proposed Clean Missouri ballot initiative. The Clean Missouri ballot initiative will increase transparency, limit the influence of Big Money in local elections and combat the undue influence of lobbyists in Jefferson City. The initiative, which launched today, is currently in the signature collection stage and is scheduled to be on the November 2018 ballot.
Among the many reforms in the initiative, it will also close a loophole that allows big campaign donors to spend unlimited money to influence an election by establishing multiple political action committees to funnel large checks to one candidate.
ECU was established in March 2015 to counter the harmful effects of Citizens United and reform our campaign finance system. With over three million members, including 48,000 in Missouri, ECU is the largest campaign finance PAC in the country. Its affiliated state-level project, Fight for Reform focuses on bringing transparency and accountability to local elections around the country. Fight For Reform will connect grassroots activists and donors with Clean Missouri’s ballot initiative.
“Time and again, politicians like Eric Greitens have promised to clean up the system and then let Missourians down. Governor Greitens, who condemned unlimited and anonymous money in elections, has even used secret special interest money groups to promote his own agenda,” said Tiffany Muller, executive director of End Citizens United. “Clean Missouri will bring meaningful reform, get Big Money out of state elections and return power to the people. Missourians deserve to have a voice in their democracy, confidence in their government and faith that their state is being run in a fair and honest way.”
ECU, a grassroots-funded federal PAC, was the 4th largest spender in competitive Senate races last cycle. A major player in the Missouri Senate race, ECU endorsed Jason Kander, connecting his campaign to local activists and small-dollar donors and airing $1.7 million in ads supporting his reform-based candidacy.
The full language of the ballot initiative can be found here.