Don Zimmerman, a member of the Austin, Texas city council, recently filed a federal lawsuit against city campaign finance rules. He challenges the $350 limit on individual contributions to candidates for city council, and the law that says candidates can’t raise or spend campaign funds except during the period six months before the election. The next Austin election is November 2016. Here is his brief. The case is Zimmerman v City of Austin, w.d., 1:15cv-628. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

Phil Huckelberry has this article in Gapers Block, advocating that Illinois depend on candidate filing fees instead of petitions, for ballot access. Gapers Block is a well-read on-line Chicago newspaper about government and politics.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a story that tries to analyze whether Ohio Governor John Kasich will be in the August 6 Fox News Republican presidential debate. See it here. The answer is ambiguous and depends on which polls are used.