September, 07 2012, 04:52pm EDT
Colorado Initiative on Campaign Spending Qualifies for November Ballot
Coloradans have responded to the barrage of campaign advertising in Colorado by putting an initiative on the ballot to instruct Colorado's elected officials to pass a federal constitutional amendment to limit campaign contributions and spending.
After completing the signature verification, the Secretary of State announced that Initiative 82 will be on the ballot (the measure will be Amendment 65). Colorado Fair Share led the petition drive, collecting more than 182,000 signatures in support of the measure. A similar measure will be on the ballot in Montana.
DENVER
Coloradans have responded to the barrage of campaign advertising in Colorado by putting an initiative on the ballot to instruct Colorado's elected officials to pass a federal constitutional amendment to limit campaign contributions and spending.
After completing the signature verification, the Secretary of State announced that Initiative 82 will be on the ballot (the measure will be Amendment 65). Colorado Fair Share led the petition drive, collecting more than 182,000 signatures in support of the measure. A similar measure will be on the ballot in Montana.
"Coloradans signed the petition in overwhelming numbers because they are fed up with money drowning out the voices of real people in our elections," commented Elena Nunez, Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause. "With Amendment 65, every voter in Colorado will have a chance to express to their elected officials, loudly and clearly, that it is time for us to reclaim our government of, by and for the people."
A report released by USPIRG and Demos in August, MILLION-DOLLAR MEGAPHONES: SUPER PACS AND UNLIMITED OUTSIDE SPENDING IN THE 2012 ELECTIONS, put all this campaign spending into a clear and frightening picture. "Outside spending organizations reported $167.5 million in spending to the FEC. Of this, $12.7 million (7.6% of the total) was "secret money" that cannot be traced back to an original source." And this is alllegalactivity after the US Supreme Court handed down several rulings that some groups say is legal corruption.
"Unlimited, corporate, and secret money continues to undermine the principle of 'one person, one vote,'" said Danny Katz of CoPIRG. "The sheer number of Colorado voters who signed the petition demonstrates Coloradans' desire to take a stand on this critical issue."
Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
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Asked If He Must Uphold the US Constitution, Trump Says: 'I Don't Know'
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May 04, 2025
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When Welker pointed to the Fifth Amendment—which states that "no person shall be... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"—Trump again replied that he's unsure and suggested granting due process to the undocumented immigrants he wants to deport would be too burdensome.
"We'd have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials," Trump said, echoing a sentiment that his vice president expressed last month.
Asked whether he needs to "uphold the Constitution of the United States as president," Trump replied, "I don't know."
Watch:
WELKER: The 5th Amendment says everyone deserves due process
TRUMP: It might say that, but if you're talking about that, then we'd have to have a million or two million or three million trials pic.twitter.com/FMZQ7O9mTP
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 4, 2025
Trump, who similarly deferred to "the lawyers" when asked recently about his refusal to bring home wrongly deported Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, has unlawfully cited the Alien Enemies Act to swiftly remove undocumented immigrants from the U.S. without due process. Federal agents have also arrested and detained students, academics, and a current and former judge in recent weeks, heightening alarm over the administration's authoritarian tactics.
CNNreported Friday that the administration has "been examining whether it can label some suspected cartel and gang members inside the U.S. as 'enemy combatants' as a possible way to detain them more easily and limit their ability to challenge their imprisonment."
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The threats against Gov. Evers in Wisconsin undermine the foundational principles of our democracy: the separation of powers, the rule of law, and the right of state governments to operate without undue federal interference. We must reject this overreach. allvotingislocal.org/statements/w...
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— All Voting is Local (@allvotingislocal.bsky.social) May 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Trump administration officials and the president himself have repeatedly threatened state and local officials as the White House rushes ahead with its lawless mass deportation campaign, which has ensnared tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants and at least over a dozen U.S. citizens—including children.
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