California & Washington State Initiatives PASSED

Two super bright spots in the November 2016 election were the two successful initiatives seeking a U.S. Constitutional Amendment that constitutional rights belong only to individuals, not corporations, and constitutionally-protected free speech excludes the spending of money - one in Washington State and one in California.

In Washington State, Initiative 735 urged the Washington state congressional delegation to propose a federal constitutional amendment. This amendment applied to labor unions and non-profits along with corporations. 63% of Washington voters voted in favor.

In California, Proposition 59 supported advising the state's elected officials to use their authority to overturn the Supreme Court Citizens United decision, potentially through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In 2014, a nearly identical legislative advisory was did not make it onto the ballot due to litigation. In 2016, 53% of California voters voted in favor.

California and Washington State join Colorado and Montana in passing similar referendums. In 2012, Colorado Amendment 65 and Montana Initiative 166 were both successful with almost three-quarters of voters supporting these measures.