Over a year ago, the Libertarian Party National Committee sued the Federal Election Commission, over the FEC’s determination that the Libertarian Party cannot receive a bequest amounting to several hundred thousand dollars in a lump sum. Instead, the FEC said the bequest must be doled out in increments of approximately $30,000 per year. This is because the law doesn’t permit individuals to give more than that amount per calendar year.

The Libertarian Party argues that the purpose of the limit on how much an individual may give to a party is to prevent the individual from exerting too much influence, but this rationale obviously makes no sense when the giver is no longer living. This case has moved slowly. Under the original scheduling order, all the briefs should have been in by now. But the briefing schedule has been altered, and now the briefs won’t all be in until September 14.

At California’s June 5 primary, 154 partisan races were up. The Democratic Party made endorsements in 114 of the races, and the Republican Party made endorsements in 100 of the races. The party endorsements were included in Voter Pamphlets mailed to each registered voter.

Out of the 214 endorsements, there are only six instances at which the endorsed candidate failed to receive the highest vote among that party’s candidates. The two Republican instances were: (1) in the 51st U.S. House district in San Diego and Imperial Counties, endorsed candidate Xanthi Gionis received fewer votes than Mike Crimmins; (2) in the 32nd Assembly district in the San Joaquin Valley, endorsed candidate Jon McQuiston received fewer votes than Pedro Rios.

The four Democratic instances were: (1) in the 31st State Senate district in Riverside, endorsed candidate Steve Clute received fewer votes than Richard Roth; (2) in the 5th Assembly district in the Sierra Nevada mountains, endorsed candidate Marc Boyd received fewer votes than Tim Fitzgerald; (3) in the 44th Assembly district in Ventura County, endorsed candidate Tom Mullens received fewer votes than Eileen MacEnery; (4) in the 57th Assembly district in southeast Los Angeles County, endorsed candidate Rudy Bermudez received fewer votes than Ian Charles Calderon, although that race is so close, the remaining ballots to be counted might change it. Thanks to Dave Kadlecek for finding three errors in the original post.

On June 7, the Arizona legislature filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing that the U.S. Constitution’s Article One requires that only state legislatures can draw U.S. House district boundaries. In Arizona, an independent redistricting commission draws the boundaries.

The Arizona legislature has a large Republican majority. A few months ago, Republicans were so displeased with the 2011 U.S. House district boundaries that Republican Governor Jan Brewer and the State Senate removed the chair of the redistricting commission. However, the State Supreme Court then reinstated the Chair.

The case is Arizona State Legislature v Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, 2:12cv-1211. The Complaint asks for a three-judge court.