This CNN interview with Reince Priebus says that the Republican Party’s national chair wants fewer presidential primary debates in 2016, at least for Republicans. Also Priebus says he would like the presidential primaries to start later in the year, and finish up sooner. But he doesn’t indicate that he is doing anything to achieve these goals. Presidential primary dates are almost entirely set by state legislatures. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.
On January 23, the Missouri House passed HB 110 by a vote of 115-45. It says when one of the statewide state executive positions becomes vacant, there will be a special election. Under current law, these posts are filled by appointment when they are vacant. See this story. In case the Lieutenant Governor is elected to Congress in a special election this coming June, there will be a special election to fill his job in November 2014. Without this bill, the office would next be voted on in 2016.
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider on Friday, February 15, whether to hear either one or two campaign finance cases. One is Danielczyk v U.S., 12-579, which challenges the federal law that makes it a criminal offense for a corporation to make any campaign contribution to a federal candidate. The other is McCutcheon v Federal Election Commission, 12-536, which challenges a federal law that say that an individual who wishes to make campaign contributions to many federal candidates cannot give all such candidates a total that is greater than $46,200 in any two-year period. The plaintiff who wishes to give more than $46,200 is Shaun McCutcheon, a resident of Alabama who wishes to contribute to many Republican congressional candidates. Another plaintiff in his case is the Republican National Committee. The lower courts upheld the challenged federal campaign laws.
A U.S. District Court in Chicago will hear Jones v McGuffage on Wednesday, January 30, at 1:30 p.m. This is the case filed by the Green Party to overturn the requirement that the party collect 15,682 valid signatures by February 2 if it wishes to run in the special April 2013 election for U.S. House, 2nd district. The case was filed on December 17, 2012, and is 1:12-cv-9997.
The Green Party and the Constitution Party sued Georgia over presidential ballot access on May 25, 2012. U.S. District Court Judge Richard W. Story dismissed the case on July 17, ruling that Jenness v Fortson (the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court opinion that upheld a 5% petition) precludes the lawsuit from having any chance of success.
A week later, the two parties filed a request for reconsideration, pointing out that both the U.S. Supreme Court, and more explicitly the 11th circuit itself, had ruled that Jenness v Fortson doesn’t control presidential election ballot access. The request for reconsideration is now six months old, and Judge Story has neither denied it, or granted a rehearing. He has simply done nothing. Such slow movement in a reconsideration request is very unusual. However, this delay is bad for the public interest. If Judge Story would act on the request for reconsideration now, the Georgia legislature could take cognizance of the issue and perhaps deal with the problem.
