On May 12, the Missouri Supreme Court heard two cases over the validity of the new U.S. House district boundaries. Healey v State of Missouri, SC 101570, is whether the new districts violate the state constitution, which requires that districts be compact. Haggard v State of Missouri, SC 101581, challenges the Secretary of State’s decision to ignore the referendum petition filed against the new district boundaries.
On May 11, U.S. District Court Judge William B. Shubb, a Bush Sr. appointee, refused to put Butch Ware on the California primary ballot as a Green Party candidate for Governor. Ware v Weber, e.d., 2:26cv-1643. Here is the ruling, which says nothing about the constitutional issue of requiring gubernatorial candidates to submit copies of income tax returns. The constitutional issue will be decided later. The basis for the ruling is that the primary election is already underway. Already several hundred thousand Californians have voted.
On May 11, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht announced that he had changed his registration from Democratic to independent. See this story. Pennsylvania has partisan elections for its Supreme Court when a seat becomes vacant. It has retention elections for that office otherwise. Wecht was elected as the Democratic nominee in 2016 and has since won retention elections.
On May 11, Virginia asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the State Supreme Court order that had stopped the new U.S. House districts. Here is the filing. Scott v McDougle, 25A1240.
On May 11, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a procedural order in the old Alabama U.S. House districting case. that permits Alabama to use its brand new U.S. House districts. Here is the Order. Singleton v Allen, and Allen v Milligan. 25A1231 and 25-274.
