The Seguin Gazette, a Texas newspaper, has this op-ed by Nolan Schmidt, criticizing the State House for narrowly defeating a bill to treat all parties equally. Currently when a Democrat or a Republican candidate pays a filing fee, the money goes to that candidate’s party. But when a Libertarian or a Green candidate pays the same filing fee, the government gets the money.
This newspaper story describes the Arkansas Libertarian Party’s eighth petition in a row for party status. The petition is ongoing and is not due until the spring of 2026, but it already has over 3,000 signatures. The requirement is 10,000.
On May 19, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Lindsey v Whitmer, 24-1017. Eleven Republican state legislators in Michigan had brought the lawsuit, alleging that it violates the U.S. Constitution when voters use the initiative process to alter election laws that affect federal elections.
The theory that only state legislatures and Congress can change election laws that affect federal elections now seems virtually dead. The initiative process has been used in Massachusetts and Florida to improve ballot access laws, and it will probably be used in the future for that same purpose.
According to this article, the Georgia Libertarian Party is working on a petition to regain its qualified status for statewide office. It needs 72,679 signatures and is due in July 2026. Thanks to Independent Political Report for the link.
No Libertarian Party petition, or petition for a Libertarian nominee, has ever before surmounted such a large number of signatures since 1978, when Ed Clark had to collect 99,822 signatures in California to be an independent candidate for Governor.
On May 20, the U.S. Supreme Court gave injunctive relief to Laurel D. Libby, the Maine legislator who has not been allowed to cast votes on the floor of the Maine House for several months because she won’t apologize for a social media post that pictured and named a particular high school transgender student. The vote is 7-2. The majority did not issue any opinion. Justices Sotomayor and Jackson dissent.
The case is Libby v Fecteau, 24A1051. Now it goes back to the First Circuit. Jackson dissented on the grounds that the Maine legislature is about to adjourn for the year so there is no time emergency.
