Move to Amend Minnesota is a state affiliate of Move to Amend, a national coalition that created the Motion to Amend Petition, which expresses opposition to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Citizens United v. FEC case and supports restrictions on election-related speech activity. ^{1 2} The group also advocates for the We the People Amendment to restrict election-related speech, particularly political campaign contributions. ^{3 4}

Barbara Gerten is the state organizer of Move to Amend Minnesota. ¹

Background

Move to Amend Minnesota is a state affiliate of the national Move to Amend coalition and is a fiscally sponsored project of Democracy Unlimited. ⁵ Move to Amend advocates for “economic justice” and against “corporate rule.” The organization states it disassociates from any group who does not align with its core beliefs such as a “commitment to anti-oppression.” ^{6 6}

The group opposes the 2011 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC, contending that political contributions are not speech and should not be protected by the First Amendment. ⁷

In 2021, Move to Amend Minnesota published an article by co-chair Jeff Clark, which advocated for “climate change action” and condemned “fossil-fuel oligarchs.” ⁸

Move to Amend Minnesota is part of We Choose Us, a coalition claiming to “protect and expand multiracial democracy in Minnesota.” The coalition includes left-leaning groups such as ISAIH, CAIR Minnesota, and Planned Parenthood Minnesota. ⁹

Activities

Move to Amend Minnesota sends a monthly newsletter, We the People Dispatch, which contains meeting announcements, legislation updates, and other information. ¹

The group also backs the Motion to Amend Petition, which expresses opposition to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Citizens United case and supports restrictions on election-related speech activity. ^{1 2}

Move to Amend Minnesota supports the We the People Amendment, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would limit first amendment protection of  election-related speech activity. ¹ The proposed amendment would make a distinction between artificial entities and natural persons, stating that only natural persons may have constitutional rights and inherent privileges while artificial entities may have rights only when given to them by the people. ⁴ The proposed amendment calls for the regulation, limitation, or prohibition of political campaign contributions and expenditures, including a given candidate’s own contributions, to ensure that individuals “have access to the political process” regardless of “economic status.” ⁴ Move to Amend Minnesota is working to make Minnesota the 23^rd state to demand this type of amendment. ⁸

Many organizations based in Minnesota have supported the amendment including the Anti-War Committee, Minnesota AFL-CIO, and the Duluth and Minneapolis NAACP. ¹

Leadership

Barbara Gerten is the state organizer and co-chair of Move to Amend Minnesota. ¹ As of July 2024, she had been with the group for over ten years and is also an administration group member with the St. Paul area Move to Amend. Before her current position, she worked with the US Peace Memorial Foundation, the Isuroon Project, and the Minnesota Peace Team. She sat on the board of Friends for a NonViolent World, Citizens for Global Solutions, Partnership for Education of Children in Afghanistan, and Minnesota Restorative Services. She was also volunteer executive director at Partnership for Education of Children in Afghanistan. ¹⁰

Other leadership members include Jeff Clark, co-chair of Move to Amend Minnesota, and Andrew Ervin, legislative action team lead. ¹

1. Minnesota move to amend. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.movetoamend.org/minnesota.
2. “Initial Signatories.” Move to Amend. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.movetoamend.org/initial_signatories
3. Minnesota move to amend. Accessed July 26, 2024. https://www.movetoamend.org/minnesota.
4. “Move to Amend’s Proposed Amendment to the Constitution.” Move to Amend. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.movetoamend.org/amendment.
5.  Donate to the move to amend education fund – move to amend. Accessed July 26, 2024. https://www.movetoamend.org/donate-ed-fund.
6. Move to amend coalition. Accessed July 26, 2024. https://www.movetoamend.org/about-us.
7. “About.” Move to Amend. Accessed March 6, 2023. https://www.movetoamend.org/about-us.
8. “Minnesota News & Announcements.” Move to Amend. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.movetoamend.org/minnesota-news.
9. “Partners.” We Choose Us. Accessed July 26, 2024. https://www.wechooseusmn.com/partners.
10. Barbara Gerten – statewide organizer – mn move to amend … Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-gerten-639a609.