Congressional Bill to Give U.S. Supreme Court Sole Authority to Adjudicate 14th Amendment, Section 3 Challenges to Presidential Candidates

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) has introduced a bill that says the U.S. Supreme Court has sole authority to adjudicate challenges to the eligibility of presidential candidates relative to the Fourteenth Amendment, section 3.

That part of the bill is only one sentence.  See it here.  The bill also blocks federal funding for election administration for states that block presidential candidates from a ballot on section 3 grounds.

The bill does not yet have a number.

Texas Supreme Court Won’t Hear Lawsuit Filed by Proponents of Secession Ballot Measure on Republican Primary Ballot

As previously described at this website, Texas permits initiatives on primary ballots, and this year a group that favors secession for Texas filed an initiative to appear on the March 5 Texas Republican primary ballot.  But the party rejected the signatures, claiming that they were filed a day too late, and also that electronic signatures are invalid.

On January 10, the group asked the Texas Supreme Court to hear their lawsuit that their initiative should be on the ballot.  But the same day, that court refused to hear the case.  See this story.

It appears the proponents will now file in a trial state court, which must hear the case.  State Supreme Courts, like the U.S. Supreme Court, don’t need to hear lawsuits filed directly in that State Supreme Court.  Thanks to Jim Riley for the link.  The name of the case is In re Texas Nationalist Movement.