My name is Wylie Burge and I volunteer with a grassroots group named Get Money Out Maryland.

Our mission is to reduce political corruption in the US and in Maryland. We are working to minimi e the in!luence o! money and strengthen the power o! individual citi ens. Our principal goal is to reverse the e!!ects o! Citizen's United v. FEC" a #$%$ Supreme &ourt decision that ruled that corporations are people and that money is !ree speech. 'he result o! this ruling is that outside groups are legally allowed to spend unlimited amounts o! money to in!luence elections while hiding their identity (ehind organi ations called Super-)*&s. Un!ortunately the only thing power!ul enough to reverse the e!!ects o! &iti en+s United is another Supreme &ourt decision or a &onstitutional *mendment. I (elieve that *mendments should only (e made i! there is an overwhelming support !or one (ut recent polls have shown that the large ma,ority o! *mericans are already on our side. - -./ o! *mericans are very concerned with the corrupting in!luence that money has over our political process 0#$%# Gallup )oll1 - -2/ o! *mericans (elieve that there should (e limits on the amount o! money corporations" unions" and other organi ations can contri(ute to outside organi ations trying to in!luence campaigns 0#$%# *) )oll1 3ast year Maryland was among %4 states that sent o!!icial letters to &ongress re5uesting that they dra!t an *mendment that addresses this issue. So !ar &ongress has !ailed to act and has even !ailed to pass the 6isclose *ct" a (ill that would have re5uired Super-)*&s to reveal where the source o! the donations they receive. *mericans all over the country are now saying that government dys!unction is the 7% pro(lem !acing this nation 0Oct #$%2 Gallup )oll1. I think that it is clear that our &ongress is continually !ailing to represent the will o! the citi ens who elected them. Our !ounding !athers predicted that the pro(lem *merica may !ace one day is &ongress itsel! and included a second way !or *mendments to (e dra!ted under *rticle 8 o! the &onstitution. 'he &onstitution states that i! #92rds o! state governments pass resolutions they can come together in a &onvention o! the States to propose *mendments. *ny proposed amendments would still have to (e rati!ied (y 29: o! the states. In #$%: Maryland is among at least %$ states that will introduce and vote on resolutions calling !or an *rticle 8 &onvention. Maryland Senator ;amie <askin is going to introduce our resolution in ;anuary and every week we are getting more Maryland representatives on (oard. Most representatives in Maryland are passionate a(out !ighting &iti en+s United and are eager to support our resolution once they are contacted (y people in their district. We are reaching out all across Maryland to get people in!ormed on the issue and to help them contact their representatives. We have volunteers all over the state that have (een pleasantly surprised (y how easy it is to get in touch with their representatives and how open they are to hearing our concerns. 6emocracy is still alive at the state level= 'here are some strong

representatives in )rince George+s county it would (e help!ul to connect with which is why I+m reaching out to you today. )lease !eel !ree to call or email me with any 5uestions or comments" I+d love to get in touch with you and talk a(out what you can do to help. One o! my main roles as a volunteer is to help people that have never contacted their representatives get com!orta(le with the idea. - Wylie Burge #:$->>.-4>#% *dditional in!o? We are having a rally on ;anuary #%st in *nnapolis. 'he rally is (eing co-sponsored (y these organi ations? Wolf PAC NAACP Maryland Committee to Amend Common Cause Maryland Progressive Maryland Maryland PIRG MD United for Peace and Justice Progressive Neigh ors Peace Action Montgomery Chesa!ea"e Climate action Net#or" * (rie! video summing up the issue *n article on the pro(lem (y Senator ;amie <askin '@6 'alk on the pro(lem (y Aarvard pro!essor 3awrence 3essig. 3essig helped dra!t the language that Senator <askin will introduce.