On April 15, a 3-judge U.S. District court invalidated the current Texas U.S. House district boundaries for districts 27 and 35.  Perez v Abbott, w.d., SA-11-cv-360.  The vote was 3-0.  This case was filed in 2011.  The original boundaries drawn in 2011 had already been invalidated.  The new decision invalidates district boundaries drawn in 2013.  Here is the decision.

The court asked the state to say whether the legislature intends to draw new boundaries.  If the state says it won’t, then the judges will begin to process for a court-drawn plan.  Texas plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the new decision.  Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

On Monday, August 14, the California State Court of Appeals, 3rd district, issued a ruling in Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association v Padilla, 85176.  The Court said the state cannot now enforce a new law, passed in June 2017, that makes it more difficult for recall petitions to succeed.  The court did not rule on the substance of the new law, but said the new law can’t be applied now.

The order, issued by Presiding Justice Vance W. Rave, suggests that the new law, which was part of a budget bill, violates the restriction on the single-subject rule.  The bill was SB 96.

The recall is aimed at Democratic State Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton).  Recall proponents did not like his vote to increase gasoline taxes.  Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.

Several candidates for Mayor and City Council of White Plains, New York, had their petitions invalidated, partly because many signers wrote “W.P” instead of “White Plains” in the line for the name of the city.  They sued in state court.  On August 14, the state supreme court judge ruled from the bench that those signatures will be allowed.  A written order is expected in two days.  The candidates are running in the September 12 Democratic primary.  Thanks to Rick Hasen for the news about the problem.