Several Montana industry groups and chambers of commerce are suing the state over a ballot initiative aimed at restricting dark money.
The lawsuit asks the Montana Supreme Court to block the initiative from advancing, arguing it's unconstitutionally vague. The suit also says the proposal would violate the right to free speech if it passes.
The initiative, called the Montana Plan, would prohibit entities that do business in Montana from contributing to candidates, political parties or ballot issues. Backers say it’s a loophole around the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which protects corporate political donations as free speech.
In a statement, the proposal’s backers say the lawsuit is an attempt to "silence a growing, citizen-led movement and protect the influence of large corporate interests."
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Montana's Democratic and independent Senate candidates take the gloves off. A TV ad smearing the Republican Senate candidate raises questions about accuracy. The Terminator endorses Montana's Seth Bodnar for Senate. A new billboard targets Republican House candidate Aaron Flint. And a new poll shows Montana gives Trump a lot higher approval rating than the country as a whole. -
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The independent and Democratic candidates for Senate went head-to-head on campaign funding, tax reform and other policy priorities on Sunday. Democrat Alani Bankhead and independent Seth Bodnar spoke to voters, answering questions from the hosting organization Indivisible Missoula and the crowd. -
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