The City of St. Petersburg is officially not for sale. On January 1, 2018, a city ordinance went into effect which protects the integrity of our elections by banning superPACs and limiting foreign investment in our local elections. We were the first city in the nation to pass a law of this kind. Many proponents of Campaign Finance Reform hope this will eventually get all the way to the United States Supreme Court, creating the possibility of reform on a national scale.
How did this happen in St. Pete?
To learn more about this locally-based, national story, I went to two women who were at the forefront: Karen Lieberman, a lead organizer of the Coalition for Campaign Finance Reform, and Julie Kessel, former President of the League of Women Voters of St. Pete.
“St. Pete was chosen for strategic reasons,” asserts Julie Kessel. “First we thought the new city council was likely to be open to the opportunity. Second, assuming it passed, and was legally challenged, the 11th circuit court had not yet entertained a challenge of this kind. Third, St. Pete has a very strong grassroots advocacy community and could lead this campaign.”
Next came the creation of the Campaign Finance Reform dream team. Local organizations, American Promise and the Lief Nissen Foundation, joined forces with the national Free Speech for the People and Move To Amend. Together, they developed a strategy in coordination with the League of Women Voters and Awake Pinellas. Then they got to work on multiple fronts.
A Grassroots Success Story
The St. Petersburg City Council had passed a resolution in 2014, stating, “Money is not speech and corporations are not people.” Now it was time to start pushing for an ordinance to make it official. Let the open forums begin!
“A resolution has no teeth; an ordinance is akin to a law,” says Karen Lieberman. “We chose to bring the issue to open forums because that way the council members would be our captive audience. They would have no choice but to listen. We brought in many issues that were all related to/affected by money in politics. City Council member Amy Foster told me that the education she received at the forums – issue by issue – was what convinced her to vote in our favor.”
Is it Constitutional?
Of course, not everyone was a fan of the proposed ordinance. Some said that it was unconstitutional, would never hold up in court, and would ultimately be a major financial burden on the city. “Opponents say that Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is settled law and that this is in violation of that finding. It is not. This ordinance is based on a legal precedent, upheld by the US Supreme Court, that says foreign actors should not be able to fund campaigns, and it limits, but does not deny the rights of corporations to contribute to campaigns so that ultra-wealthy donors, including corporations, do not have undue influence,” states Kessel.
“The right thing to do shouldn’t be trumped by the possibility of a lawsuit,” City Council Member Charlie Gerdes opines. There have been several inquiries as to what exactly the ordinance means and how it is being implemented. In response, the city published an implementation document and, as of yet, there has not been a legal challenge.
Is there still a chance that St. Pete’s action on Campaign Finance Reform will make it to the highest court in the land? Indeed. If a legal challenge does occur, it would go to the 11th circuit court of appeals. If the decision were upheld there, and then appealed, it would then be presented to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Spread the Good Word!
“The ordinance is already spreading,” smiles Lieberman. “It is moving through several state and local legislatures, albeit slowly. The most recent one I am aware of is Seattle. I have spoken at several national conferences in order to move it along nationally.”
What can we learn from the successful push for Campaign Finance Reform in St. Pete? Lieberman and Kessel have many suggestions. Create a strong, unified coalition; relate your issue to the issues of different groups; have an ally in the government; be patient, persistent, and prepared to change course as needed; and, most importantly, do not become discouraged. In the wise words of Julie Kessel, “Change takes time and the collective efforts of many.”
To learn more, hop over to Youtube and check out the short documentary, “Journey to Victory in St. Petersburg,” and please remember to vote in the general election for Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 on the City Council on November 5, 2019!
