On March 16, the Texas House Elections Committee heard testimony on HB 464, the bill to require candidates nominated by minor party convention to pay filing fees. Currently, only candidates running in a partisan primary pay filing fees in Texas.
Mark Miller, from the Libertarian Party, testified against the bill. Here is a link to his testimony, at his web page. Also, Kat Swift, from the Green Party, testified against the bill. The committee meeting had many bills and this bill was one of the last to be heard. Some members of the committee left early, or drifted in and out of the hearing room while the testimony was being heard. In Texas, as in most states, committee members do not vote on a bill immediately after hearing testimony. Any committee vote on the bill will be in the future. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
Mark Miller is a typical Libertarian who does not think the government should pay for anything. These are the kind of people, who can be likened to the man illustrated by Jesus in Luke 10: 30-37: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ the Poor Man in the Scriptures who was overtaken by thieves and was laying by the road.
Libertarians tend to think like this. Libertarians need to become 21st century Samaritans. Libertarians, who would want to God’s will, who sees another 3rd party has been beem denied ballot access, should help that party obtain the necessary signatures they need so they too can participate in the election. They don’t think the government should attempt to have equal and fair elections by having a state-paid primary, where all candidates can qualify by a filing fee, and appear on the ballot, but yet they would show “selfishness” by not wanting to help the other party to obtain ballot access. Additionally, Libertarians appear to oppose any governmental activity which might provide financial provisions for a genuine candidate who has proven his security by qualify for the office by paying the Filing Fee. Instead, they should, following back on the teaching of Romans 13 should advocate that government help those who don’t have the financial means to carry on a political campaign.
Now, I realize that we don’t have the manpower or the finances to help those parties who don’t get on the ballot. So instead, we look at Romans Chapter 13, where government is given the power to provide equal finances for all candidates seeking ballot access. This is the moral equivalent of helping the poor thief on the road.
Libertarians need to understand you cannot be successful in this world – including the world of politics – unless we acknowledge that government has the right to make sure all are protected and given equal opportunity to participate in the process.
But I am not “holding my breath” waiting on the Libertarians or any party, to ask the authorities listed in Romans 13, to make sure we are all treated equally.
In Texas, filing fees paid by Republicans and Democrats go to offset the cost to the state/counties of running the primary election. Libertarians, Greens, etc… do not participate in the primary, so their candidates do not pay the filing fee. Since Libertarians, Greens, etc…. hold conventions to choose their candidates, they paid ALL the costs incurred to choose their candidates. The Republicans and Democrats, even with the offsetting filing fees, require tax dollars to choose their candidates.
-The singular purpose to require TX third party candidates to pay filing fees, (unless they are allowed/required by the proposal to hold a subsidized primary election) is to make it more difficult/impossible to run a full slate of candidates for these parties. The better/less likely proposal would be to eliminate primary elections and have all parties nominate by convention.