North Carolina’s H88 passed the Senate on July 20. See several postings below for a description of why this bill is nothing to cheer about; it makes some things better but others worse.
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On July 20, the Senate passed HR 9, the extension of the federal voting rights act. The vote was unanimous. The bill had already passed the House.
On July 20, a mid-level New York state court ruled unconstitutional a law that makes it illegal for one political party to spend any money in support of a candidate who is running in another party’s primary. In this case, the Working Families Party spent $126,000 to assist one of the candidates for Albany County District Attorney while that candidate was running in the Democratic primary of 2004. Avella v Batt, Supreme Court, Appellate Div., 3rd, no. 98847. The decision was based largely on the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision Eu v San Francisco County Central Committee, which struck down California laws that made it illegal for parties to endorse or oppose candidates in their own primaries.
On July 17, a Virginia lower court ruled that nothing in the Virginia Constitution requires shopping centers to let petitioners onto their property. The candidate-plaintiff is appealing to the Virginia Supreme Court. Collins v Shoppers World, CL05-10518.
Minnesota has three qualified parties, Democrat-Farmer-Labor, Republican, and Independence. In addition, these unqualified parties have petitioned to place statewide nominees on this year’s ballot: Green, Libertarian and Constitution.
There is also an independent candidate for Governor, Leslie Davis, who chose the ballot label “American Party”. However, he regards himself as an independent candidate, and he is not running as the nominee of any organized political party. He has no connection with the American Party organized by George Wallace supporters in 1969.