States are banning corporations from spending in their elections. Now it’s Pennsylvania’s turn.
Corporations aren’t people. Nobody has tucked a corporation into bed, kissed its forehead, and told them they’ll be having french toast for breakfast. Nobody has ever called a corporation’s mother on Mother’s Day.
That’s because corporations don’t have mothers, or kids. They are paper creatures, legal inventions that we made up and then handed tremendous powers.
You might be thinking, why should I give a damn?
Since the infamous 2010 Citizens United ruling that declared that corporations are people, and their money equivalent to free speech, our elections have turned into a financial arms race. Through unlimited election spending, big money interests are drowning out our voices.
Right now, politicians are incentivized to ignore you – and listen to, for example, your landlord instead. Struggling to pay your rent? Sorry, your landlord donated $15,000 to your representative last year, you’re not our politicians’ target audience. So when our representatives vote on a housing bill, who do you think they’ll stand with?
Money Out
〰️
People In
〰️
Money Out 〰️ People In 〰️
Alright then, what can we do?
We don’t have to accept this! We can usher in a new era of government where politicians aren’t beholden to their biggest donors, billionaires and corporations. We may not be able to out-money them, but we’ve found a way to out-maneuver them.
We have a plan to castrate Citizens United in Pennsylvania. No, we don’t need the Supreme Court, or even a constitutional amendment. We have a proposed state bill that can do the job.
States create corporations and give them power, meaning they also have the authority to take certain power away. HB 2728 decrees that in order to be an active corporation in Pennsylvania, you agree to not spend money in our elections.
Iterations of this plan called the Corporate Power Reset have been popping up across the country, aimed at limiting the unfair influence corporations wield in our democracy. Montana was the first state to introduce this idea with a ballot campaign in early 2026, dubbing the initiative the “Montana Plan,” and Hawai'i has already signed theirs into law this past spring.
You can learn more about the Montana Plan in this short Center For American Progress video!
Pennsylvania has the opportunity to lead the country in shutting down corporate influence. On August 5th, legislators introduced Pennsylvania’s version of the “Montana Plan.” We need all hands on deck to convince our legislators of what we intuitively know: they have one job, and it is to vote yes on HB 2728.
And before any politician in Harrisburg tries to claim Pennsylvanians “don’t want this,” or “don’t care about this,” which we’ve heard from them before (ugh): well, the numbers don’t lie. 79% of voters reject Citizens United and believe that unlimited campaign spending destroys peoples’ trust in elections.
Take Action: Here’s How You Can Help
1. Call Your State Representatives
Tell them: stand up to big money and champion this bill for Pennsylvania. We deserve a democracy by and for the people of Pennsylvania, not giant corporate interests.
Organize locally in your community with fellow MoHers! Not sure how to get involved? Join your regional channel on Slack!
We are a scrappy, volunteer-powered organization that relies entirely on grassroots donations from fellow Pennsylvanians. Please contribute whatever you are able to keep this fight alive!
