Michigan Democratic lawmakers introduce legislation to curb campaign spending power of corporations

State Rep. Betsy Coffia, a Democrat from Traverse City, and state Sen. Sean McCann, a Kalamazoo Democrat, introduced legislation in their respective chambers last week to limit the powers of business corporations, nonprofit corporations and limited liability companies to participate in campaign spending.

The legislation seeks to curb the impact of the 2010 landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission by utilizing states’ authority “to create, charter and regulate the powers of corporations operating within their state,” so that those entities do not have “any power to pay, contribute, or expend money or anything of value in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate, political party, political committee, or ballot question.” 

The joint resolutions propose codifying the change into the Michigan Constitution.

“In my three and a half years in the legislature, I have witnessed all too clearly the power of rampant, unchecked corporate power rotting the soul of democracy in Michigan,” Coffia said in a press release. “I have seen big insurance, utility monopolies, and other special interest groups wield staggering levels of influence over what bills are even allowed a committee hearing, regardless of which party is holding the gavel. This legislation is desperately needed and long overdue to refocus Michigan politics on serving everyday Michiganders, not corporate CEOs and their shareholders.”

The Citizens United decision revolved around a conservative nonprofit organization running ads in 2007 against then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton — and the court’s decision allowed for corporate “independent” spending, which enabled corporations and other outside groups to spend essentially unlimited money on elections.

“Citizens United was a terrible ruling that opened the floodgates to dark money in politics — a decision that has gone on to benefit wealthy corporations and individuals while drowning out the voices of everyday Americans,” McCann said. “It is time Michigan joins the efforts across the country, from Montana to Hawaii, to do what we can at a state level to finally counter the effects of this decision and restore power back to the people and trust in our democracy.”

McCann also highlighted other states, including California, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri and Virginia, that have introduced similar bills, and similar legislation that was recently signed into law in Hawaii. Montana is also expected to have a similar proposal appear on its 2026 general election ballot this November.

McCann also cited a 2025 poll that found that 79% of Americans — across political parties — agreed that “large independent expenditures (the technical name for political ads that are not coordinated with a candidate) by wealthy donors and corporations in elections give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.”