The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat has this article about the upcoming court hearing in Rubin v Bowen, the California state court lawsuit filed by minor parties against Proposition 14. This lawsuit was filed on November 21, 2011 by the Peace & Freedom Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Alameda County Green Party. The hearing is in Oakland on April 10, Tuesday, at 9 a.m.
Politico has the Louisiana Republican presidential primary results.
According to this story, there is some likelihood that Congress will ease the Hatch Act, which now prevents many individuals from running for partisan office. HR 4152 and S1270 would eliminate the part of the Hatch Act that blocks state and local government employees from running for partisan office, if the federal government funds that state and local government. Congressman Darrell Issa, chair of the House Committee that has jurisdiction over the House bill, says he favors a stronger bill, probably one that would give more freedom to federal employees.
The old Hatch Act, passed in 1939, made it illegal for government employees to do any voluntary labor whatsoever in connection with a partisan campaign. The old Act, for example, made it illegal for a goverment employee to help with a petition drive to place a party or a candidate on the ballot. That restriction was lifted in 1993.
The Nebraska Supreme Court had been expected to issue a ruling late Friday on whether Bob Kerrey can be on the Democratic presidential primary ballot of May 15. However, no opinion has come down. See this story.
The April 1, 2012 printed Ballot Access News will contain a chart listing lawsuits that concern deadlines to get on the ballot. The chart will list 49 lawsuits in which courts have enjoined too-early deadlines for newly-qualifying parties or independent candidates to get on the ballot, or have declared such deadlines unconstitutional, or strongly suggested those deadlines are unconstitutional. These lawsuits span the period 1968 through 2012. They cover 30 states.
Lawsuits are pending on this issue in Alabama, Montana, Oklahoma, and Vermont. Lawsuits against other states are likely to be filed in the last week of March.
