Maine Bill, Abolishing State Income Tax Check-off for Political Parties, Stalls

Posted on by April 10, 2012
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On April 5, Maine LD 1826 passed the House. Also on April 5, the Senate placed the bill on the Appropriations Table, so the bill’s future is uncertain. The bill abolishes the ability of state income taxpayers to use the income tax form to send a small contribution to the taxpayer’s desired political party.

But the bill has other provisions about the state income tax form, and some of the provisions in the bill permit new public funding for libraries. The bill, as a whole, appears to cost the State Treasury more money than it saves. Therefore, the bill can’t advance until the budget is determined. The legislature adjourns on April 13 and returns in May.

The Maine Green Party gets over half its budget from the state income tax check-off provision. There have been some calendar years in which the Green Party received more money from the fund than the Republican Party received.

Peace & Freedom Party Presidential Primary Ballot Access Case Moves Ahead

Posted on by April 9, 2012
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The Peace & Freedom Party is currently in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, asking that Peta Lindsay be restored to the party’s presidential primary ballot. The primary is June 5. Both sides in the lawsuit, Peace & Freedom Party v Bowen, have agreed to expedite the lawsuit. Assuming the judge agrees, all the briefs will be in by April 20. Oral argument is somewhat likely to be on April 24. UPDATE: the oral argument will be April 26 at 9 a.m.

The issue is whether the Secretary of State is exceeding her authority by telling the Peace & Freedom Party that it may not list one of its four desired presidential candidates on the party primary ballot. The other three candidates, who will be on that ballot for certain, are Stephen Durham, Rocky Anderson, and Stewart Alexander. The Secretary of State originally wouldn’t accept Stephen Durham either, but she changed her mind about him and decided to accept him.

The Peace & Freedom Party has been having presidential primaries starting in 1972, and never before has any California Secretary of State attempted to tell the party that its list of presidential primary candidates should be altered. The Peace & Freedom Party was on the ballot in 1968 but didn’t have a presidential primary that year.

Constitution Party and Americans Elect Both File Petition for Party Status in South Dakota

Posted on by April 9, 2012
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The South Dakota deadline for a party to submit its petition to be qualified was March 27. Both Americans Elect, and the Constitution Party, submitted petitions. The state hopes to have checked each petition within a week.

The Libertarian Party had turned in its petition several months ago, and its petition had been approved on February 28.