On January 25, the Indiana Supreme Court said it will hear the state’s appeal in League of Women Voters v Rokita, the case over whether Indiana’s Constitution is violated by the state’s law, requiring voters at the polls to show government photo-ID in order to vote. The State Court of Appeals had invalidated the law on September 17, 2009, by a vote of 3-0. The State Court of Appeals decision is reported at 915 NE 2d 151. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.

Both houses of Congress have bills to provide for public funding of candidates for Congress. They are S752 and HR 1826. The Senate bill has 5 co-sponsors and the House bill has 126 co-sponsors.

Many Democrats in Congress have expressed dismay at the U.S. Supreme Court’s campaign finance opinion, Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, handed down January 21. That decision lets corporations and unions run their own advertising, either supporting or criticizing candidates for federal office. Much commentary has predicted that the ruling will cause renewed interest in public funding of campaigns. However, so far, no new co-sponsors have signed up to either of the public funding bills since the decision came down. It is possible that in the next few weeks and months, though, there will be new support for the bills.

California Assemblymember Manuel Perez, a Democrat who represents Imperial County and eastern Riverside County, says in this newspaper interview that he opposes the “top-two open primary” that will be on the June 2010 ballot. He mentioned the lack of voter choices in November, if the proposal passes.

The interview appears in The Desert Sun, a Palm Springs daily newspaper that has carried commentary in favor of “top-two”, but which has so far declined to print a letter to the editor from a resident of the Palm Springs area who sent such a letter.