“Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

So said Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg address over 150 years ago.

We can all do our part this November to not let it perish by voting yes on Initiative 735, the “Get Big Money out of Elections” initiative.

I-735 would have our state call for a federal constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United ruling, joining the 17 other states that have done so.

It is unfortunate that money influences election outcomes, but it has been shown many times, including in the 2014 federal congressional races, where 94 percent of the biggest spenders in House races won, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

And since the Citizens United ruling has allowed corporations and labor unions to spend unlimited sums on election ads, it has resulted in giving those organizations even greater influence over who represents us, and whether their primary responsibility is to “the people” or perhaps to those who got them elected.

Let’s get back to government “by the people and for the people.”

Vote yes on I-735 this November.

Cindy Jayne,

Port Townsend