The Center agrees with this decision. The Center agrees with the ACLU that money is speech and corporations or environmental groups, like individuals, should be free to speak with their money. Restrictions on corporate spending for political speech are inconsistent with the First Amendment's protection of free speech.
What's out:
-- A 63-year-old prohibition on corporations using money from their general treasuries to produce and run their own campaign ads.
-- A prohibition contained in the McCain-Feingold Act that bars issue-oriented ads paid for by corporations or unions 30 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election.
Still in:
-- A century-old ban on donations by corporations from their treasuries directly to candidates.
-- The requirement that any corporation spending more than $10,000 in a year to produce or air a campaign ad covered by federal restrictions must file a report with the Federal Election Commission, revealing the names and addresses of anyone who contributed $1,000 or more to the ad's preparation or distribution.
-- The requirement that an ad include a disclaimer stating who is responsible for it, if the ad is not authorized by a candidate or political committee.
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