‘Move to Amend’ group to participate in Fourth of July event

Island citizens will help spread the word of an awareness campaign to overturn the controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, during Bainbridge Island's Independence Day festivities.

Island citizens will help spread the word of an awareness campaign to overturn the controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, during Bainbridge Island’s Independence Day festivities.

The group, Move to Amend Kitsap, an affiliate of a national movement, will march in the city’s Fourth of July parade and share information from its booth at the street fair.

In its Citizens United decision, the Supreme Court said the government could not restrict political expenditures by corporations and unions.

In an effort to reduce the influence that big money has elections and politics, Move to Amend is a grassroots coalition to have the states pressure Congress to draft a 28th Amendment to the Constitution, which would declare that corporations are not people but derive their privileges from the people, and that money is not speech and can be limited. Move to Amend organizers said several states have already presented proposals and memorials on the effort.

Move to Amend Kitsap will also hand out fliers with information during the Bainbridge celebration about its July 12 Grassroots Forum, which will feature Fran Korten, publisher of YES! Magazine. The forum will also include strategies that Port Townsend used to get a civic resolution passed. The Rev. Dee Eisenhauer, will talk about why faith-based groups can support this trans-partisan, citizen-led effort.

Bainbridge residents and friends who would like to participate in the parade with Move to Amend Kitsap, or to volunteer in the booth, can contact Kat Gjovik for more information at kat.gjovik@gmail.com.

For more information, visit MovetoAmend.org or find the Kitsap affiliate on Facebook at Move to Amend Kitsap.