Beth Slovic/The OregonianPortland City Council chambers on Thursday afternoon as commissioners and the mayor listened to testimony on two symbolic resolutions.

Portland City Council chambers overflowed this afternoon with supporters of two resolutions that grew out of the Occupy Wall Street and anti-war movements.Both are largely symbolic.

The first measure takes aim at military spending and responds to a call from local peace activists in October.

It establishes “that the City of Portland praises United States troops and their families, applauds the end of the Iraq War and supports the further drawdown of troops in Afghanistan with funds being redirected to domestic priorities.”

One element of controversy?

Although it was declared over by the federal government in December, the Iraq War hasn’t ended, a few people testified. American troops remain in the country.

A second resolution, piggybacking on efforts in Los Angeles and elsewhere, establishes “that corporations should not receive the same legal rights as natural persons do, that money is not speech and that independent expenditures should be regulated” in political campaigns. It takes aim at the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United, which allows unlimited corporate spending in elections.

Mayor Sam Adams, the sponsor for both measures, introduced the second rule by noting that not all corporations act the same. And, he said, “the world would be a better place,” if more corporations in the world behaved like Portland corporations.

“This is about what kind of electoral system we want to devise for ourselves,” Adams said.

Both resolutions passed 3-0. Now, according to the second resolution, the city attorney’s office will “determine the legality and process of referring an advisory vote to the citizens of Portland on the issue of corporate personhood, and refer their findings back to Council for further consideration.”

Two commissioners, Nick Fish and Dan Saltzman, were absent.

— Beth Slovic

from:    http://blog.oregonlive.com/portlandcityhall/2012/01/portland_city_council_hears_te_1.html