Lakewood City Council Passes Move To Amend Resolution

The Lakewood City Council passed a resolution at the July 21 City Council meeting that calls for the abolition of corporate personhood and the doctrine of money as speech. The resolution was sponsored by Ward 2 Council Member Sam O'Leary and passed on a six-to-one vote.

Council Member O'Leary noted that the resolution began with a citizens' initiative that was brought to City Council by a group of Lakewood voters. In his remarks, Council Member O'Leary noted that Lakewood is the closest tie that people have to government and that this resolution shows that democratic processes are "alive and well in Lakewood." 

Ward 3 Council Member Shawn Juris cast the single dissenting vote saying that he disagreed with a number of (unspecified) points and that the action taken through the resolution will not resolve the issues of campaign finance.

The resolution is composed of 9 separate "WHEREAS" clauses that detail how the needs, life goals, and probable life span of corporations and human beings are not the same. Extension of basic human and Constitutional Rights to corporations usurps fundamental rights that were originally intended only for human beings.

The resolution goes on to describe how the disparity between the money and resources available to corporations as compared to that available to the human beings influences the outcome of elections in favor of corporations and wealthy individuals.

The resolution calls for an amendment to the United States Constitution that would abolish corporate personhood and abolish the doctrine of money as speech. The practical effect of this amendment would be to subordinate nonhuman entities to human beings in order to lawfully regulate the amount of money that flows into elections.

By its terms, Council Clerk Mary Hagan will forward the resolution to Ohio's United States Senators and Congress Member for the 9th Congressional District and to all members of the Ohio House and Senate. Through this transmittal, state and federal elected officials are made aware that the voters of Lakewood are concerned about money in politics and seek a Constitutional Amendment to abolish corporate personhood.

A copy of the resolution is available through Council Clerk, Mary Hagan.