Agreeing with a gutsy defense  of the rights of Montana people by Attorney General Steve Bullock, the Montana Supreme Court has rejected a Citizens United-based challenge to the Montana Corrupt Practices Act. The Court said this:

The question then, is when in the last 99 years did Montana lose the power or interest sufficient to support the statute, if it ever did. If the statute has worked to preserve a degree of political and social autonomy is the State required to throw away it protections because the shadowy backers of WTP seek to promote their interests? Does a state have to repeal or invalidate its murder prohibition if the homicide rate declines? We think not. Issues of corporate influence, sparse population, dependence upon agriculture and extractive resource development, location as a transportation corridor, and low campaign costs make Montana especially vulnerable to continued efforts of corporate control to the detriment of democracy and the republican form of government.

Free Speech for People, which filed an amicus brief in the case, issued a press release with links to the Court’s Opinion:  FSFP release on MT ruling 123011-1