On July 7, the New Mexico Secretary of State determined that the Green Party ballot access petition has enough valid signatures, so the party is a qualified minor party for 2022 and 2024. Thanks to Mike Feinstein for this news.
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On June 28, the South Dakota League of Women Voters sued over the 2020 law that bans out-of-state circulators for statewide initiatives. LWV of South Dakota v Noem, 4:22cv-4085. The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Roberto Lange, an Obama appointee.
The Deputy Speaker of the Russian Duma has suggested that Alaska hold a referendum on whether it should leave the United States and possibly become part of Russia. See this Newsweek story. Thanks to Mark Seidenberg for the link.
On July 7, the First Circuit issued an opinion in We the People PAC v Bellows, 21-1149. The U.S. District Court in 2020 had enjoined Maine’s ban on out-of-state circulators for initiative petitions. The First Circuit agreed that the injunction was proper. Although the ban has not yet been declared unconstitutional, it virtually has been. Here is the Opinion. The First Circuit had held oral argument on this case in July 2021. Thanks to Eric Wong for this news.