On May 23, the Montgomery daily newspaper, The Advertiser, ran this editorial, condemning Alabama’s ballot access laws and also criticizing the legislature for again failing to reform them.
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This story notes that U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas was born in Canada, and analyzes what various commentators have said about his qualifications to be President. The story erroneously says that U.S. Senator John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone. Actually he was born in Colon, Panama, which was virtually surrounded by the Canal Zone, but was not part of it. Thanks to Sam Harley for the link.
This story explains the further actions coming, concerning Texas districts for U.S. House and state legislature. The legislature’s regular session is about to end, but a special session to deal with redistricting is expected. The 3-judge U.S. District Court in San Antonio will soon hold a hearing in the lawsuit dealing with the districts. And the U.S. Supreme Court, either on May 28 or on one of the Mondays in June, will issue a decision on the continuing validity of part of the federal Voting Rights Act, which will impact Texas.
California AB 19, by Assemblymember Phil Ting, failed to pass the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 24. Although the bill is not dead, because it didn’t make the Appropriations Committee deadline, it cannot pass this year. AB 19 would establish a pilot project for voting by internet.
On May 25, acclaimed radio talk-show host Gene Burns died. See this story. He had been the likely Libertarian Party presidential nominee in 1984, but a few days before the party’s presidential convention, he had changed his mind and decided he didn’t want the nomination.