Bill to ban corporate campaign donations stalls in commerce committee

Corporate donations to candidates in Minnesota have increased exponentially since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010.

The court found that corporations’ expenditures in elections are a form of protected speech and since then, corporate spending in elections has increased from $144 million in 2008 to $4.5 billion in 2024, Rep. Emma Greenman (DFL-Mpls) told the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee Thursday.

People say nothing can be done about it, she said, but corporations only have the power the state grants them by law.

So she sponsors HF3419 to prohibit entities — including business corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies and foreign entities that do business in Minnesota — from disbursing money to a candidate, political committee or statewide or local ballot measure, initiative, referendum, recall, constitutional amendment or charter amendment.