Attorney General Mike Easley can appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. But in the meantime, the General Assembly needs to plug the hole before the dollars come pouring through. Easley has suggested legislation that would restore the corporate ban but exempt nonprofits not connected to business or organized labor. Of course, corporate North Carolina will continue to pump money into politics through other channels. Even if businesses can't give directly to campaigns, they will continue to exert a powerful influence over elections and legislators, while individual taxpayers struggle to be heard.
Businesses can form political action committees, which then funnel money to campaigns.
Ultimately, the more effective way to curb the influence of corporate money is to offer candidates another way to finance their campaigns. The answer is some form of public financing. All else being equal, we have a hunch most voters would go for the candidates who come with no strings attached.