On July 22, both the New York Conservative Party, and the New York Working Families Party, filed lawsuits in New York state courts to save fusion. Specifically, both lawsuits charge that the state legislature exceeded its authority when it empowered an unelected commission to decide whether to abolish fusion or not. The unelected commission was set up to draw up a plan for public funding for candidates for state office. The legislature gave it the power to impose a plan. Included in the commission’s power is whether or not to ban fusion.

Back in 1912, the New York state courts ruled that the State Constitution protects fusion. However, the Constitution has changed considerably since then. UPDATE: here is the Working Families Party Complaint . Hurley v Public Campaign Finance & Election Commission, filed in Niagara County Supreme Court.

California law professor Rex Grady here writes that SB 27, the bill to require presidential primary candidates to reveal their tax returns or be omitted from the presidential primary ballots, is not constitutional. The op-ed is in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, which is one of the largest newspapers in the State Senate district of Mike McGuire, the sponsor of SB 27.

Grady only mentions the U.S. Constitution. He and other commentators never seem to remember the California Constitution, which says that the Secretary of State shall put all “recognized” candidates on the presidential primary ballots. Article II, sec. 5(a).

California Governor Gavin Newsom has twelve days to act on the bill. The twelve-day period starts when the legislature sends the bill to him. Although the bill has passed, it still hasn’t been sent to the Governor.

UPDATE: Dan Walters, a well-known commentator and reporter for California government, has this article in Cal Matters, predicting that Governor Newsom will sign the bill, but that it will be held unconstitutional.

HR 51, the bill to make the District of Columbia a state, now has 216 co-sponsors in addition to the sponsor, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. A majority of the House would be 218 members.