Wisconsin shifts left, montana challenges corporate power
The political landscape is subtly, but significantly, reshaping itself. Wisconsin’s Supreme Court may soon flip to a liberal majority, and Montana is mounting a bold challenge to the Citizens United ruling—both developments signaling a potential realignment in states crucial for the broader national conversation.
Wisconsin: a gop struggle and a rising tide
Republicans in Wisconsin are bracing for a potentially seismic shift next week, as early polls suggest a decisive victory for Democratic judicial candidate Chris Taylor. The race, a contest between Taylor and conservative hopeful Maria Lazar, has seen Taylor’s campaign outspend Lazar’s by a staggering five-to-one margin. This isn’t just about a judicial seat; it’s a stark illustration of the state GOP’s decade-long struggle to maintain relevance in key elections. The shadow of former Governor Scott Walker’s legacy looms large, and the state legislature is only now beginning to disentangle itself from years of aggressively gerrymandered districts.
Lazar’s self-description as an “independent” is, frankly, telling—a common tactic employed when a candidate lacks genuine appeal. Taylor, currently a state court appellate judge and former Democratic state representative, has been far more forthcoming about her positions, particularly on abortion, a flashpoint issue in this year’s election. During a debate, she unequivocally stated her intention to have rejected the 1849 criminal abortion ban, citing its conflict with subsequent legislation. The implications are clear: a Taylor victory would shift the court’s balance to a 5-2 liberal majority, potentially impacting decisions on redistricting and other critical issues.
Montana's bold stand against citizens united
Montana’s relationship with the 2010 Citizens United decision has been, to put it mildly, fraught. For decades, the state had championed some of the nation’s most stringent campaign finance regulations, a direct response to the corrosive influence of Gilded Age mining and industrial interests. Those regulations were effectively dismantled by the Supreme Court’s ruling, and Montanans have since been engaged in a relentless search for a workaround.
Last week, the state Supreme Court handed them a significant victory. In a unanimous decision, the court declared that challenging the constitutionality of an initiative is “disfavored,” affirming the right of citizens to utilize the initiative process. This paves the way for organizers to proceed with the Transparent Election Initiative, also known as Ballot Issue 10, which seeks to prohibit corporations from contributing money to political campaigns or ballot measures.
The Montana Plan, as it’s been dubbed, represents a direct assault on Citizens United. Instead of attempting to circumvent traditional campaign finance laws, the initiative cleverly targets the very charters that grant corporations the right to operate within the state. The proposed constitutional amendment would effectively restrict corporations’ ability to participate directly in elections, while preserving avenues for political action committees. As Jeff Mangan, a former Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, observed, the approach is fundamentally conservative: the state retains its power to regulate corporations, simply extending that regulation to exclude political spending. The legal battle ahead will undoubtedly be fierce, but Montana’s ingenuity offers a glimmer of hope in the ongoing struggle to reclaim our elections from the undue influence of corporate wealth.
The road back from Citizens United is a long one, but Montana’s move demonstrates that the fight isn’t over.