InProgress

from the Center for American Progress

In this edition:

• The Hawaii legislature passed S.B. 2471 to undo Citizens United
• One week left to join the online audience for the CAP IDEAS Conference
• Virginia joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact put the finish line in sight

HISTORIC! Hawaii has passed a bill to undo Citizens United

The Aloha state has officially passed S.B. 2471, legislation that would remove dark and corporate money from the state’s federal and state politics. The final version of the bill now heads to Gov. Josh Green (D)’s desk for his signature before becoming law—and making Hawaii the first in the nation to effectively undo Citizens United.

The bill draws on a breakthrough legal strategy crafted by the Center for American Progress: States define the powers of the corporations they create, and a state’s corporate code can grant every power a business needs while withholding political spending power.

IN THE NEWS

• “Hawaii Legislature passes first-in-nation bill targeting Citizens United ruling” (Courthouse News Service)
  
• “Political Dark Money Limits Clear Hurdles in Hawaii, Montana” (Bloomberg Law)
  
• “Legislators Advance Bill To Limit Corporate Money In Hawaiʻi Elections” (Honolulu Civil Beat)
  

RSVP for the 2026 CAP IDEAS Conference

CAP IDEAS is less than one week away! Make sure you RSVP to tune into a day of substance, solutions, and great ideas from today's most prominent voices in media and politics.

Here's a sneak peek of our stellar lineup of speakers: 

• Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA)
  
• Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD)
  
• Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)
  
• Gov. Abigail Spanberger
  (D-VA)
  
• Leader Hakeem Jeffries
  (D-NY)
  
• Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY)
  
• Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
  
• Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
  
• Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ)
  
• Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA)
  
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren
  (D-MA)

• Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX)
  
• Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL)
  
• Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA)
  
• Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL)
  
• Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis, MN
  
• Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, 31st U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
  
• Elizabeth Shuler, President, AFL-CIO
  
• Ezra Klein, Host, The Ezra Klein Show
  

Stay tuned for the full conference agenda being released this week.

Virginia puts us one step closer to electing presidents by popular vote

Photo: Getty Images

Virginia’s decision to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact has brought the effort to elect presidents by popular vote, rather than by the Electoral College, closer than ever to becoming reality. Virginia’s 13 electoral votes pushed the compact’s total to 222, just 48 shy of the 270-vote threshold needed for the compact to take effect.

Moving away from the Electoral College would ensure every vote carries equal weight, reduce the outsize influence of a handful of battleground states, and strengthen public confidence in elections at a time when election systems face mounting attacks and disinformation campaigns.