Post #77945 by PucksFool on the US Policy board

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https://katiephang.substack.com/cp/198961860

Hawaii's Power Play: SB 2471 Takes on Citizens United
Hawaii is giving Citizens United a run for its money

ICYMI listen up, because what just happened in Hawaii is the kind of bold, smart, state-level pushback against Big Money in politics that we desperately need right now.

On May 14, 2026, Governor Josh Green signed Senate Bill 2471 into law. Now called Act 011, the law states that corporations and other artificial entities created under Hawaii’s state laws do NOT have the power to spend money or contribute anything of value to influence elections or ballot measures. Instead, these business entities possess only the powers that are “necessary or convenient to carry out their lawful business or organizational purposes.”

This law is an in-your-face challenge to the post-Citizens United world where corporations have been playing God with our elections. What Hawaii basically said was: Corporations are NOT people, and we’re not letting them hijack our democracy anymore. And as a trial lawyer who spent years in courtrooms fighting for real accountability, I love this approach. It’s clever, constitutionally sound, and long overdue.

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I don't see how this will survive the inevitable legal challenge that will quickly make its way to the SCOTUS.

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I don't see how this will survive the inevitable legal challenge

That’s the whole point of the law. Yes, it’s going to lose in district court because of Citizens. It will be appealed and lose in appellate court as well. Probably. Hawaii is in the Ninth Circuit, a fairly liberal court. So seeing the law upheld on appeal is not out of the question, although that outcome is quite unlikely.

No matter what happens on appeal, it will almost certainly be appealed to the USSC. And that is the point. The supporters of the law are trying to overturn Citizens. The way to do that is to take issue back to the USSC and convince the justices to change their mind.

Certainly a difficult task, but that is the path the Hawaii legislature has chosen.

—Peter

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No matter what happens on appeal, it will almost certainly be appealed to the USSC. And that is the point. The supporters of the law are trying to overturn Citizens. The way to do that is to take issue back to the USSC and convince the justices to change their mind.

Certainly a difficult task, but that is the path the Hawaii legislature has chosen.

Ah - thanks for the explainer.

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