The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling today that could increase the amount of money spent in elections by the nation’s corporations and unions. It also may force changes in Washington law limiting last-minute blasts of spending for and against candidates by interest groups.
According to the Associated Press story, the court ruled on a 5-4 vote that corporations and unions may spend as freely as they like to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress.
The court also overturned two of its own decision that said companies and labor unions can be prohibited from using money from their general treasuries to produce and run their own campaign ads. The decision threatens similar limits imposed by 24 states.
It leaves in place a prohibition on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions.
AP reports the decision’s most immediate effect is to permit corporate and union-sponsored political ads to run right up to the moment of an election, and to allow them to call for the election or defeat of a candidate.
Expect lots of reaction from near and far on this ruling.
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