To the Editor:

Editor Scott McLeod’s thoughtful analysis (May 24 edition, www.smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/20019) described the formidable marketplace corporate control that permeates our country — including our elections. 

McLeod cited a national amendment movement, among which should be noted, HJB48, the We the People Amendment. Forty U.S. representatives, including two from North Carolina, are sponsors. Nineteen states have passed identical legislation through either state chambers or citizen ballot Initiatives. 

N.C. House legislation H453 and its companion bill in the NC Senate — S354 — were introduced by 19 sponsors. If the N.C. House and Senate legislators (elected by the people) will pass this legislation, our state will be the 20th to support the federal HJB48!

Both state bills are requests to put a ballot referendum on the November 2018 election to let N.C. voters decide this issue. Here is the wording: “(For or Against) Urging the United States Congress to amend the Constitution of the United States declaring that constitutional rights belong only to individuals and not to corporations or other artificial entities and that constitutionally protected free speech excludes the unlimited spending of money on political campaign contributions.”

Voters who agree with the ballot referendum question should join a groundswell of voters now insisting that H453 and S354 be moved out of committee and onto the floor of both chambers for a vote. One click —  http://ncwethepeople.org/ncwtp-help-online.html  — will contact every member of the Rules Committees. Also tell them that NC voters deserve the chance to decide this issue themselves.

Lucy Christopher 

Cashiers