Wisconsin United to Amend is the state affiliate of American Promise, ¹ which lobbies for a constitutional amendment to repeal the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC. ²

Background

Wisconsin United to Amend was founded in 2010 in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which recognized that the First Amendment protected spending by corporations and nonprofit organizations as political speech. ³ Wisconsin United to Amend’s response to Citizens United was to campaign for resolutions at the town, city, county, and state level in Wisconsin calling for a constitutional amendment to overrule the decision and put in place restrictions on independent political speech expenditures by corporations and nonprofits. ⁴

Wisconsin United to Amend provides both the local governments and state governments with a boiler-plate resolution to adopt. ⁵ The resolution calls for a constitutional amendment that would strip businesses, unions, and nonprofit organizations of their First Amendment right to make independent expenditures on political issues and campaigns. ⁶

As of 2022, Wisconsin United to Amend has successfully lobbied 169 communities in Wisconsin to pass the group’s recommended resolution to overrule Citizens United. ⁷

Today, Wisconsin United to Amend is a state affiliate of American Promise, ⁸ a national organization that advocates for a constitutional amendment to overrule Citizens United. ⁹ It is also affiliated with Move to Amend, which lobbies Congress for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. ¹⁰

Leadership

George Penn is the leader and spokesman of Wisconsin United to Amend. ^{11 12} After Wisconsin United to Amend became a local chapter of American Promise, ¹³ Penn began working with American Promise to train other chapter leaders in activist incubation and lobbying strategies. ¹⁴

1. “The Citizen Led Movement for the 28th Amendment: Citizen Leader Spotlight: George Penn.” American Promise. 2019. https://www.americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CitizenEBook-FINAL1.pdf
2. “The Citizen Led Movement for the 28th Amendment: Citizen Leader Spotlight: George Penn.” American Promise. 2019. https://www.americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CitizenEBook-FINAL1.pdf
3. “Jim Christ Comments to Wisconsin Court System.” Wisconsin Court System. https://www.wicourts.gov/supreme/docs/2003commentscrist.pdf
4. “Jim Christ Comments to Wisconsin Court System.” Wisconsin Court System. https://www.wicourts.gov/supreme/docs/2003commentscrist.pdf
5. “Home-Resolution.” Wisconsin United to Amend. https://wiuta.org/
6. “Home-Resolution.” Wisconsin United to Amend. https://wiuta.org/
7. “Completed Resolutions and Referendums in Wisconsin.” Wisconsin United to Amend. https://wiuta.org/wisconsin-ready-to-amend/
8. “The Citizen Led Movement for the 28th Amendment: Citizen Leader Spotlight: George Penn.” American Promise. 2019. https://www.americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CitizenEBook-FINAL1.pdf
9. “The Citizen Led Movement for the 28^th Amendment: Citizen Leader Spotlight: George Penn.” American Promise. 2019. https://www.americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CitizenEBook-FINAL1.pdf
10. Shaw, Donald. “Campaign to Overturn Citizens United Keeps Racking Up Wins.” Sludge. April 24, 2020. Accessed February 25, 2023. https://readsludge.com/2020/04/24/campaign-to-overturn-citizens-united-keeps-racking-up-wins/
11. “The Citizen Led Movement for the 28th Amendment: Citizen Leader Spotlight: George Penn.” American Promise. 2019. https://www.americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CitizenEBook-FINAL1.pdf
12. Acheson, Dean S. “Penn Asks Minocqua Residents To Back Amendment On Corporate Money.” WXPR. January 16, 2019. Accessed February 26, 2023. https://www.wxpr.org/government/2019-01-16/penn-asks-minocqua-residents-to-back-amendment-on-corporate-money
13. “The Citizen Led Movement for the 28th Amendment: Citizen Leader Spotlight: George Penn.” American Promise. 2019. https://www.americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CitizenEBook-FINAL1.pdf
14. “The Citizen Led Movement for the 28th Amendment: Citizen Leader Spotlight: George Penn.” American Promise. 2019. https://www.americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CitizenEBook-FINAL1.pdf