The web page of the Commission on Presidential Debates lists past financial backers of CPD, although no information is available for 2016 sponsors. Here is the list. In 2012, the only two companies listed that depend on mass purchases of their products are Anheuser-Busch and Southwest Airlines.
On August 13, 2015, the Washington State Supreme Court fined the state $100,000 per day until the legislature complies with earlier court orders to equalize funding for wealthy and poor school districts. However, the legislature (which had three special sessions already this year) has not been called into a fourth special session, so the fine continues to accumulate.
The legislature won’t be called into special session until legislative leaders and the Governor can agree on a solution, and that hasn’t happened yet. See this story, which is about a particular Republican candidate for Governor. The paragraph headed “a critical time” contains the information that this situation is still current. The story is dated October 30, 2015.
This is relevant because supporters of top-two systems usually maintain that top-two systems result in legislators who are centrist and reasonable and moderate and work well together. Commentary boosting top-two, so far, never mentions Washington state. Washington state has been using top-two starting in 2008. In both 2013 and 2015, the budget didn’t pass in the regular session, and three special sessions were needed. This is not the fault of the top-two system. It is the product of divided government, in which the State Senate has a Republican majority and the State House has a Democratic majority. Political science research shows that type of primary system does not affect what type of candidate is elected.
On October 30, the Republican National Committee said the planned Republican presidential debate for February 26, 2016, will take place without any involvement from NBC. See the letter here. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link.
On October 30, U.S. District Court Judge Andrea Wood held a status conference in Libertarian Party of Illinois v Illinois State Board of Elections, the case that challenges the Illinois law that says a newly-qualifying party must run a full slate of candidates. Illinois does not require already-qualified parties to run a full slate of candidates. No other state has ever had a law telling any type of political party that it must run a full slate of candidates.
Judge Wood said she will issue an opinion in the case on Monday, November 2.
A few days ago, Ralph Nader received some relief from the costs assessed against him in 2004 by the people who had challenged his Pennsylvania petition. Pennsylvania state courts had awarded the challengers $81,102 under the unique Pennsylvania system that says if a petition doesn’t have enough valid signatures, the petitioning candidate or group must pay large court costs. Peter Camejo, Nader’s vice-presidential nominee in 2004, had then paid $20,000. Nader had $30,000 seized from one of his bank accounts and another $30,000, in another bank, had been frozen ever since.
After the Pennsylvania scheme was held unconstitutional on July 24, 2015, Nader’s attorney notified the 2004 challengers that the basis for the award against Nader no longer exists. While there was no legal requirement that the challengers do anything about that, they did release the remaining $30,000.
