Jess Bravin, Wall Street Journal, Published January 4, 2012
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2010 striking down federal limits on corporate and union political spending doesn’t apply to similar state laws, the Montana Supreme Court has found, renewing a legal debate over how sweeping the high court intended its ruling to be.
In a decision released late Friday, the Montana court held that the state’s Corrupt Practices Act, a century-old voter initiative banning corporate spending to support or oppose political candidates or parties, complies with the U.S. Supreme Court’s January 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission.
Mr. Bullock, a Democrat who is running for governor, praised the ruling as “based on solid constitutional analysis, common sense and a clear understanding of…Montana’s history.”