Volunteer registration and training for gathering signatures on a petition to put Initiative 1329 on the November ballot is set in Port Townsend, Port Angeles and Sequim today and Saturday.
I-1329 would ask state residents to put Washington state on record as calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to reduce the influence of money on elections and government policy.
To put the measure on the ballot, 250,000 valid signatures must be collected and turned in to the Washington secretary of state by June 20.
Meetings start today
Port Townsend meetings will be at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St., at 7 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Saturday.
The Port Angeles meeting will be in the Carver Room at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St., at 6 p.m. today.
The Sequim meeting will be at 1236 Holland Road at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The proposed amendment would clarify that “the rights of people protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of human beings only,” according to WAmend, a statewide coalition of more than 25 organizations that is spearheading the campaign.
The measure is aimed at reversing the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting political independent expenditures by corporations, associations or labor unions.
It also would specify that “all citizens should have equal voice in the political process, and no person or artificial legal entity should gain undue influence over government as a result of financial resources,” and that “all political contributions and expenditures shall be publicly disclosed in a full and timely manner,” according to the WAmend website at www.wamend.org.
Petition training
North Olympic Peninsula petition training is sponsored by WAmend of North Olympic Peninsula, Occupy Port Townsend Move to Amend, Clallam MoveOn and Clallam Move to Amend.
For more information in Jefferson County, phone Dianne Diamond at 360-385-2341.
For more information in Clallam County, phone Andrea Radich at 360-457-6884.
For more information on the initiative, visit www.wamend.org.
