“As Maine goes, so goes the nation.”

So proud of my home state for a ballot question seeking to limit the kind of massive corporate spending that has plagued this election cycle, and all elections since Citizens United.

Mainers: Vote yes on 1, fight to end billionaire influence on politics!

Headline: Growing bipartisan support for Maine initiative to get dark money out of politics
While political parties have tried to set themselves apart from one another this election cycle, leaders across the political spectrum in Maine have found a common interest in one of the state’s ballot initiatives, which ultimately seeks to get dark money out of politics nationwide by teeing up a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Question 1 on the Nov. 5 ballot, which aims to place limits on donations to political action committees that independently spend money to try to support or defeat candidates, has been endorsed by 128 civic and business leaders in Maine, ballot question committee Maine Citizens to End Super PACs announced Monday. The initiative stems from legal scholar Lawrence Lessig, who told Maine Morning Star that there has also been growing excitement in democracy reform circles across the U.S about the effort in Maine. Among the endorsers are Maine’s Democratic U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, who are both running for reelection and have previously supported other campaign finance reform efforts in Congress. “Corporations and the ultrarich have drowned out the voice of the American people, spending billions of dollars to elect candidates who would further line the pockets of big business,” Pingree wrote in a statement to Maine Morning Star. “The power should be in the hands of everyday voters, not corporations. The ‘Yes on 1’ campaign to end Super PACs works towards that goal and will strengthen our democracy for future generations.” In Golden’s view, too, Question 1 is an opportunity for Mainers to lead the fight against big money in politics. “Capping contributions to PACs will reduce the influence of corporations, millionaires and billionaires in our elections, and shift the balance of power in our democracy back to the voters,” Golden wrote in a statement.
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