On May 11, the Texas House passed HB 1987 by 103-42. It prohibits candidates for public office from being officers of a political party. The bill only applies to parties that nominate by primary. The Libertarian Party of Texas worked hard to get the bill amended so that it doesn’t apply to convention parties. Here is the text. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
On May 12, the Nevada State Senate Finance Committee passed SB 292. It moves the petition deadline from June to May for new parties, and also imposes a severe distribution requirement on that petition. Now the bill goes to the State Senate. All Democrats on the committee voted for the bill; all Republicans voted against it. The bill also creates a straight-ticket device.
California holds a special election on June 29 to fill the vacancy in the Assembly, 18th district, in Alameda County. The ballot will list six Democrats, one Republican, and one Socialist Workers Party candidate, Joel Britton. However, due to unfair California laws, Britton’s ballot label will be “Party preference: none.”
David H. Freedman, a writer, has this long essay in Newsweek about the possibility of a new strong party in the near future.
Michael Feinstein, from the California Green Party, has this article pointing out the harm done by the Democratic Congressional election law bill in Congress to minor parties that depend on primary season matching funds to place their presidential nominees on general election ballots.
The bill has passed the House but is not expected to pass the Senate in its current form because one Democratic Senator, Joe Manchin, does not support it.
