On September 12, the Institute for Free Speech filed this amicus curiae brief in Libertarian National Committee v Federal Election Commission, in the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit. This is the lawsuit over federal bans on large contributions from deceased individuals to political parties.

The amicus says, “This Court should fashion a broad, bright-line rule that cleanly clarifies the circumstances where contribution limits will not apply to bequests. Such a remedy is easily articulated. The Court should find that contribution limits are inappropriate where a bequest is made without any prior coordination with the recipient committee, and where that committee seeks to receive it only after the contributors’ death.” The amicus says that if such a clear ruling is not released, that will just cause more lawsuits on this subject in the future.

Socialist Action Party submitted almost 11,000 signtures this year to place its nominee for U.S. Senate, Fred Linck, on the Connecticut ballot. The Secretary of State still has not determined whether that petition has enough valid signatures. The requirement is 7,500. See this press release from the Linck campaign. The Secretary of State’s office is not responding to questions about the matter.

On September 12, U.S. District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, an Obama appointee, upheld the Texas policy of electing its State Supreme Court Justices, and its State Criminal Appeals Court Judges, in at-large partisan elections. Lopez v Abbott, s.d., 2:16v-303. Here is the 43-page opinion.