Thursday, July 19, 2012
Move to Amend gets date for Supreme Court hearing
Posted By Stephen Dark on July 19, 2012, 6:03 PM
Move To Amend will argue before the Utah Supreme Court next Thursday, July 26*, that it should be allowed to put on the November ballot its initiative calling for a constitutional amendment that would state that corporations are not citizens and that money is not speech.---
Following Move To Amend collecting and submitting 11,000 pro-initiative signatures to Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City's attorney issued an opinion that the ballot initiative did not meet the requirements of state law, which does not extend the right to issue resolutions to citizens.
While both the Salt Lake City Council and Mayor Ralph Becker have supported Move To Amend's ambitions with regard to the ballot, MTA finds itself effectively handcuffed by state law. According to a MTA press release, the group (pictured above rehearsing for a street-theater performance) is "technically suing Salt Lake City for rejecting the initiative."
However, the city is not "taking a position of standing in the case," says Becker's spokesman, Art Raymond, meaning the only folks arguing before the Supreme Court next week will be MTA, which, states the press release, "will argue that Utah citizens' constitutional right to initiative is improperly restricted by disallowing ballot resolutions."
*This blog has been updated to note the correct date of the court hearing
Photo by Niki Chan, from June 28 cover story "Rebel Belle"
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