On August 8, Citizens for Fair Representation filed this reply brief in the lawsuit over the California legislative representation case.
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On August 2, U.S. District Court Judge Kimberly J. Mueller ruled that Citizens for Fair Representation v Padilla, e.d., 2:17cv-973, should go to a 3-judge court. This is the case that says the U.S. Constitution requires that California’s legislative districts have fewer residents. Currently California State Senate districts have almost 1,000,000 inhabitants, and Assembly districts almost 500,000.
On August 3 the state asked that the judge reconsider. No response has been received since August 3.
On August 8, Level the Playing Field filed this brief in Level the Playing Field v Federal Election Commission, 1:15cv-1397. This is the case that argues that the FEC has improperly and unlawfully permitted the Commission on Presidential Debates to limit the general election presidential debates to the Democratic and Republican nominees.
Next, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan will rule on the FEC’s motion to dismiss the case. If she denies the FEC’s motion, additional evidence, discovery, and a trial will follow.
Meanwhile, in the other debates lawsuit, Johnson v Commission on Presidential Debates, the D.C. Circuit heard oral argument in April 2017 and the opinion is not out yet.
The Centrist Project is holding a convention in Philadelpia August 11-13. See this Politico story by Edward-Isaac Dovere, describing the group’s plans and hopes.
Jonah Goldberg, in the Los Angeles Times, says in this column that a presidential candidate running outside the two major parties might win in 2020. Of course that has always seemed unlikely, but, as he says at the end of the column, the election of someone like President Trump also seemed awfully unlikely, until it happened. Thanks to Gene Berkman for the link.