On February 24, Paul Edward Trujillo, chair of the Valencia County Commission, changed his registration from “Democrat” to “Libertarian”. He is running for re-election this year and will run as a Libertarian.
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On February 22, the 9th circuit declined to strike down Oregon’s law, banning the practice of paying initiative circulators per signature. The court said “We do not hold that the law is facially constitutional. Rather, we hold that the district court did not clearly err in determining plaintiffs failed to establish that the law imposes a severe burden.” Evidence in the case presented by the plaintiffs was feeble, whereas the state did a better job of presenting evidence in support of the law. Prete v Bradbury, 04-35285. A similar law had been upheld in North Dakota, but similar laws in Idaho, Maine, Mississippi and Washington had been struck down in U.S. District Courts.
On February 22, the 9th circuit declined to strike down Oregon’s law, banning the practice of paying initiative circulators per signature. The court said “We do not hold that the law is facially constitutional. Rather, we hold that the district court did not clearly err in determining plaintiffs failed to establish that the law imposes a severe burden.” Evidence in the case presented by the plaintiffs was feeble, whereas the state did a better job of presenting evidence in support of the law. Prete v Bradbury, 04-35285. A similar law had been upheld in North Dakota, but similar laws in Idaho, Maine, Mississippi and Washington had been struck down in U.S. District Courts.
Ever since the 1910’s decade, qualified political parties in California have chosen county party officers in their own primaries. However, in 2003, the legislature amended the law to provide that parties may abolish these elections if they wish. The Libertarian Party has become the first party to do so. The 2003 law change did not take effect until after the 2004 primary, so this year is the first year any party could make this choice. Fewer than half the states let parties choose their officers in a publicly-funded primary.
The Green Party candidate for California’s 29th U.S. House seat will be Bill Paparian, who was a city councilman and mayor of Pasadena between 1987 and 1999. The 29th district is now represented by Congressman Adam Schiff, a Democrat who is running for re-election. In 2004 the vote was Schiff 133,670, the Republican nominee 62,871, the Green nominee 5,715 and the Libertarian nominee 4,570. Paparian advocates bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq; he says Schiff has been too supportive of U.S. policy.