IndyStar

A few weeks ago, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ensuring the right to vote regardless of gender celebrated its 94th anniversary. Tennessee provided the final vote for ratification on Aug. 18, 1920, thereby capping a 150-year struggle by women suffragists to become recognized members of "we the people" for and by whom the American republic was created.

It's time we mark the next anniversary in the struggle to ensure a more inclusive democracy where every voice is heard.

Following the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United nearly five years ago, Americans nationwide embarked on a journey to ratify the 28th Amendment to ensure that the voices of ordinary Americans are not drowned out by wealthy special interests that spend millions influencing elections. On Sept. 8, the U.S. Senate will vote on such an amendment.

Sen. Tom Udall's proposed Democracy for All Amendment would re-establish the power of Congress and state legislatures to place reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money to influence elections. The amendment has 50 Senate sponsors. Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly has publicly criticized the impact of Citizens United and unprecedented spending by special interest groups on our electoral process. Cosponsoring this amendment is the best way for him, and Sen. Dan Coats, to do something about it.

Like the suffragettes and the abolitionists before them, this is our generation's opportunity to make good on the Constitution's promise to maintain a government that represents the will of the people. Those fighting to expand democracy in the past fought to be heard in the ballot box. Our fight today is to be heard over the billionaires and corporations who pay for our representatives' elections.

Money's undue influence on government always has been a problem with which the American people have had to grapple. The robber baron era prompted President Teddy Roosevelt to press Congress to pass the Tillman Act in 1907 banning corporate political donations. In 1925, Congress expanded on the Tillman Act with the Federal Corrupt Practices Act, which regulated campaign finance until Watergate ushered in a new series of reforms.

However, since Watergate, a series of Supreme Court decisions have largely squashed our right to continue to grapple with our money in politics problem as we have done throughout our nation's history. In these cases, the court wrongly equated spending money in elections with constitutionally protected free speech, which has prohibited Congress and the states from putting common sense rules in place to govern our elections.

In reality, unlimited political spending makes a mockery of free speech by allowing the voices and policy preferences of billionaires and corporations overwhelm those of everyday Americans.

The Democracy for All Amendment would empower "We the People" to take back control of our government and make sure it's looking out for all of our interests, not just a wealthy few.

The Constitution has been amended 27 times before and with our democracy on the line it is time we do so again. Sen. Donnelly should take the next logical step in his opposition to special interest influence in our elections by cosponsoring the Democracy for All Amendment and voting in its favor on Sept. 8.

Zach Adamson

Councillor at-large

Indianapolis City-County Council