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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 249 FILED ON: 1/7/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3843
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Carmine Lawrence Gentile
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying
resolution:
Resolutions for an application to Congress for an amendment overturning Citizens United.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex1/7/2025Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/23/2025Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester3/4/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 249 FILED ON: 1/7/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3843
By Representative Gentile of Sudbury, a petition (accompanied by resolutions, House, No. 3843)
of Carmine Lawrence Gentile, Natalie M. Higgins and Mary S. Keefe for the adoption of
resolutions memorializing the Congress of the United States to pass and send to the states for
ratification a constitutional amendment to restore the first amendment and fair elections to the
people. Veterans and Federal Affairs.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3768 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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Resolutions for an application to Congress for an amendment overturning Citizens United.
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to pass and send to the states for
2ratification a constitutional amendment to restore the first amendment and fair elections to the
3people.
4 Whereas, for the past 4 decades, a divided United States Supreme Court has allowed for
5corporations, unions, political action committees and super political action committees to
6influence the political process and democratically-enacted reforms; and
7 Whereas, the first amendment has been greatly impacted by the United States Supreme
8Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. the Federal Elections Commission; and 2 of 3
9 Whereas, the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United overturned
10longstanding precedent prohibiting these interests from spending general treasury funds in
11democratic elections; and
12 Whereas, the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United will allow
13corporations, unions, political action committees and super political action committees limitless
14and unprecedented campaign spending and disproportionate influence, threatening the fairness of
15the democratic process; and
16 Whereas, the people of the United States have previously used the Constitutional
17amendment process to overturn Supreme Court decisions that present a risk to the democratic
18process and self government; and in 2018 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Citizens
19Commission Concerning a Constitutional Amendment for Government of the People created by
20the overwhelming affirmative vote of Ballot Question 2 in the 2018 general election in the
21Commonwealth of Massachusetts proposed the following Amendment:
22 “Section 1. We the People have compelling sovereign interests in representative self-
23government, federalism, the integrity of the electoral process, and the political equality of natural
24persons.
25 Section 2. Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to forbid Congress or the
26States, within their respective jurisdictions, from reasonably regulating and limiting contributions
27and expenditures in campaigns, elections, or ballot measures.
28 Section 3. Congress and the States shall have the power to implement and enforce this
29article by appropriate legislation, and may distinguish between natural persons and juridical 3 of 3
30persons, including by prohibiting juridical persons from raising and spending money in
31campaigns, elections, or ballot measures.”
32 now therefore be it
33 Resolved, that the Massachusetts General Court hereby memorializes the Congress of the
34United States to pass and send to the states for ratification a Constitutional amendment to restore
35the First Amendment and fair elections to the people such as that proposed above; and be it
36further
37 Resolved, that a copy of these resolutions be transmitted forthwith by the Clerk of the
38House of Representatives to the President of the United States, to the presiding officer of each
39branch of Congress and to the members of those branches from the Commonwealth of
40Massachusetts.