The U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, has issued procedural orders in Libertarian Party National Committee v Federal Election Commission, 13-5094. Paperwork for both sides is due April 29, and substantive motions are due May 13. This is the case on whether it is unconstitutional for the FEC to forbid the Libertarian Party from receiving its bequest of $217,734 all at once. The case will be heard by all the full-time judges of the D.C. Circuit.
The upcoming South Carolina special U.S. House race, 1st district, has three candidates on the ballot. Eugene Platt, the Green Party nominee, is covered in this fairly lengthy story in Whiteout Press. The story has some interesting points about the two major party candidates, and about the mass media.
Democrats in the Montana legislature are determined to block two election law bills, even though Democrats are in the minority in each house. See this story, which explains the maneuver. Democrats want to block SB 408, the bill to ask the voters if they want a top-two primary. They also want to block SB 405, which would ask the voters to repeal same-day voter registration.
On April 5, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in a speech, criticized various election law bills pending in state legislatures. Included in his criticism are bills and proposed bills to end the winner-take-all system for electing presidential electors. Such a bill is pending in Pennsylvania and may eventually be introduced in Michigan. See this story.
On April 4, the Alabama Senate Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics & Elections Committee passed SB 265 by a vote of 5-0. This is the bill by Senator Cam Ward that reduces the number of signtures for newly-qualifying parties and non-presidential independent candidates. It also provides for a later petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties. Thanks to Joshua Cassity for this news.
