The state’s top attorney reviews ballot proposals to see if they meet legal muster. If one is found legally insufficient, it's blocked from advancing.
Attorney General Austin Knudsen says an initiative to limit campaign spending would alter several sections of the Montana Constitution. State law prohibits ballot initiatives from “logrolling” multiple changes into one proposal.
The Transparent Election Initiative is behind the proposal, which is called “The Montana Plan.” Former Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan founded the group, and says they plan to challenge Knudsen’s ruling in court.
“The Montana Plan presents one question to the voters: Whether Montana should continue granting corporations the power to spend in its politics. It really is as simple as that,” Mangan says.
The proposal would prevent corporations from donating to political campaigns. Backers say it’s a loophole to the federal Citizens United decision that protects donations as free speech.
Knudsen also edited the language of two initiatives mandating that judicial elections in Montana stay nonpartisan. Backers argue that Knudsen’s edits are unwarranted and confusing to voters.
Knudsen deemed a similar proposal insufficient, arguing it logrolls multiple concepts together. The initiative backers dispute that claim.
If the Montana Supreme Court overrules Knudsen and allows the proposals to advance, they still each need 60,000 citizen signatures from across the state to make it on the ballot.
