The Eleventh Circuit will hear Hall v Merrill the week of November 13-17. This is the case in which the U.S. District Court last year had struck down Alabama ballot access laws for independent candidates as applied to special congressional elections. The state is trying to get that decision reversed.
On August 23, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee passed SB 149. This is the bill that forces candidates running in a presidential primary to reveal their income tax returns. The bill had already passed the Senate and had already passed the Assembly Elections Committee, so now it goes to the Assembly floor. The vote was 10-5.
Although bills to require presidential candidates to reveal their income tax returns had been introduced in several states this year, the California bill seems to be the only such bill that is likely to pass. It would have no effect on independent presidential candidates.
Ozy, an on-line international magazine, has this story about the Centrist Project, with a focus on Maine and Colorado.
Mainstream media is interested in the Centrist Project’s 2018 independent candidates, because of the perception that the Donald Trump presidency is weighing down the popularity of the Republican Party, and yet the dissatisfaction does not seem to translate automatically to support for the Democratic Party.
The mainstream media perception may be unfair to the nation’s other nationally-organized parties, especially the Libertarian Party and the Green Party. It will be important to watch whether the Centrist Project can really recruit a sizeable number of high-qualify independent candidates for 2018.
The Sacramento Bee has this story about the proposed initiative to repeal California’s top-two system.
Rhode Island allows state income taxpayers to choose which qualified party to help with a small contribution. The Moderate Party is listed as a choice because it is qualified. It is qualified because it got over 5% for Governor in 2014. However, it is defunct. Nevertheless, 440 taxpayers this year sent the party $1 on their tax forms. The state will send the payment to Ken Block, who started the party in 2010, even though Block is now a Republican and has no interest in the party.
UPDATE: this post is incorrect. The Moderate Party does have current party officers. The state chair is Bill Gilbert. It is true that the money was sent to the wrong person, but otherwise this post is not accurate.
