Not filing a Statement of Economic Interests cost numerous candidates of both the Republican and Democratic parties their ballot access, but the Alabama GOP continues to deny potential primary candidates ballot access due to past support of non-Republican candidates.
In a prior discussion of the same rule here, Jim Riley claimed that past support had no time limit. I should have double checked, as it says here six years.
@ALGOP,
So a contribution to Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016 is cool?
Cool and not covered by the text of the rule are two different things. It’s quoted verbatim in the article linked from OP above. See if I misunderstood anything.
Final paragraph at yellowhammer news, for greater ease of reference.
@ALGOP,
Arbitrary and capricious and the text of the rule are one and the same.
The rule does not apply to Republican incumbents if the action took place before the amendment of the bylaws. It is unclear if this refers to February 19, 2022; August 13, 2022; or February 25, 2023.
If Mathews’ opponent made an identical contribution in 2018 he would be permitted to run.
@ALGOP,
Actual bylaws of the Alabama GOP, see page 15.
https://algop.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Bylaws-of-the-Alabama-Republican-Party-%E2%80%93-Amended-August-5-2023.pdf
The article appears to have quoted the rule correctly. The part about six years is in the next to last text line on the aforementioned page 15 in the pdf version.
I’m not interested in nitpicking. My only point is that someone whose support for opposing parties was many years ago is not forever disqualified by this rule. After a period of six years the restriction on their inelligibility is lifted. Even within that period, it can be waived for extenuating circumstance.
@ALGOP,
The sentence about the six years has a clause that begins with “but” that exempts Republican incumbents from its application.
Why has that particular rule been amended twice in 2022 and once in 2023?
Probably because of nitpicking nitpickers picking nits on account of that’s what nitpicking nitpickers do, if I have to take a guess. Do you have a better explanation in mind?
@ALGOP,
It is likely that state central committee is incompetent.
They were probably trying to keep Bubba Joe from running, but found it was keeping Betsey Sue from running so they had to amend the amendment.
I don’t think they’re incompetent. The nature of committees is to wrap around the axle of details.