Hawaii's Power Play: SB 2471 Takes on Citizens United

Hawaii is giving Citizens United a run for its money

ICYMI listen up, because what just happened in Hawaii is the kind of bold, smart, state-level pushback against Big Money in politics that we desperately need right now.

On May 14, 2026, Governor Josh Green signed Senate Bill 2471 into law. Now called Act 011, the law states that corporations and other artificial entities created under Hawaii’s state laws do NOT have the power to spend money or contribute anything of value to influence elections or ballot measures. Instead, these business entities possess only the powers that are “necessary or convenient to carry out their lawful business or organizational purposes.”

This law is an in-your-face challenge to the post-Citizens United world where corporations have been playing God with our elections. What Hawaii basically said was: Corporations are NOT people, and we’re not letting them hijack our democracy anymore. And as a trial lawyer who spent years in courtrooms fighting for real accountability, I love this approach. It’s clever, constitutionally sound, and long overdue.

Just a quick refresher: in 2010, the United States Supreme Court shoved Citizens United v. FEC in our faces. In a 5-4 decision, the Court decided that corporations, labor unions, and nonprofit organizations have a First Amendment right to spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political speech. That ruling gutted key parts of campaign finance reform and unleashed Super PACs, dark money nonprofits, and a flood of undisclosed cash into our elections, corrupting our political process.

Billions upon billions poured into races, often from hidden corporate interests. In Hawaii, that meant big developers, tourism conglomerates, and out-of-state money having the ability to shape policy that affected everyday residents in critical issues like housing and environmental protections. Nationwide polls show that the overwhelming majority of Americans, regardless of party affiliation, hate Citizens United. Yet here we are, still living in the wreckage of that terrible SCOTUS decision.

But, Act 011 flips the script: it doesn’t try to regulate speech. Instead, it goes to the systemic root of the issue: because corporations are artificial “persons” created by the state, if the state charters them then the state gets to define exactly what powers those artificial “persons” get to have. This law is powerful in how straightforward it is. It reaffirms that corporations, LLCs, partnerships, nonprofits — basically any artificial entity formed under the laws of the state of Hawaii — only have the powers “necessary or convenient” for their legitimate business purposes. Influencing elections, funding ballot measures, bankrolling candidates or PACs? Definitely NOT on the list of “necessary or convenient business purposes.”

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Now back to where I left off.

Here are a few key highlights of Act 011:

• It applies not only to Hawaii-chartered entities, but also to out-of-state companies that do business in the islands. Imagine how many companies that is!

• Individuals keep all of their First Amendment rights intact so no one is silenced.

• Violations can lead to suspension of the business’ operations, loss of contracts, tax status revocation, or even dissolution.

What is really impressive is that even in Hawaii’s heavily Democratic legislature, SB 2471 passed with strong Republican backing, too. In fact, the votes were unanimous in the Senate and near-unanimous in the House. Why? Because legislators from both sides of the aisle recognized the problem of unchecked corporate influence.

Nationally, this spectacular new law can become ammunition in the November Midterms. Expect it to be cited in ads, debates, and op-eds in battleground states. It signals to other legislatures that state-level corporate power resets are viable, potentially accelerating similar bills elsewhere and keeping campaign finance reform in the spotlight as voters head to the polls. Because it doesn’t take effect until July 1, 2027, lawsuits will almost certainly drop soon and early court skirmishes could generate headlines through the fall, but that will just highlight the David v. Goliath/People v. Big Money Corporations battle and I believe it’ll inspire others to fight harder. It could energize grassroots turnout, boost progressive and anti-corruption candidates who campaign on cleaning up elections, and put pressure on incumbents to distance themselves from Big Money donors.

States have tools. People have power. As someone who fights every day for accountability in our legal and political systems, I see SB 2471 as a masterclass in strategic resistance. It’s exactly the kind of savvy move we need more of if we’re serious about reclaiming our democracy.

All of America should watch Hawaii closely because if one state can pull this off, others can do the same. And that’s how REAL change starts.