On June 24, the city council of St. Paul, Minnesota, voted unanimously to put a ballot question on the November 3, 2009 ballot. The measure will ask voters if they wish to use Instant Runoff Voting. The measure is actually an initiative, and the initiative had been submitted two years ago, but the Council had refused to certify it for the ballot because opponents had said use of IRV might violate the Minnesota Constitution. But because the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that there is no conflict between the State Constitution and IRV, the St. Paul vote will now proceed.

On June 24, the 9th circuit invalidated Seattle regulations that control First Amendment activity in the Seattle Center (location of the Space Needle). One of the regulations struck down made it illegal for anyone to engage in “speech activities” within 30 feet of a “captive audience.” “Captive audience” is defined in the regulation as “any person or group of persons: (1) waiting in line to obtain tickets or food or other goods or services; (2) attending or being in an audience at any Seattle Center event; (3) seated in any seating location where foods or beverages are consumed.” Here is the opinion. The Seattle Center is an 80-acre government-owned park that attracts over ten million visitors annually.

On June 23, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the legislature must transmit bills to the Governor immediately after they are passed. However, the Court said that in the particular matter that prompted the Governor to sue the Legislature, the slow delivery of the budget bills, that the Court would not order the Legislature to send the bills, since the Legislature had not had advance notice of the rule announced on June 23, and because the Legislature had promised to send her the bills soon anyway. Brewer v Burns, 09-0168.