| Subject: Electionlawblog news and commentary 4/17/06 |
| From: Rick Hasen |
| Date: 4/17/2006, 7:18 AM |
| To: election-law |
The Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette offers this
report. On Friday, a federal district court upheld the
Indiana voter id law against constitutional challenge.
Brad Smith has this
oped in the Wash. Times, tying earmark reform with public
financing for presidential candidates: "It's hard to imagine an earmark
of less value than the presidential campaign fund. Over the years the
presidential fund has paid for balloon drops at the national nominating
conventions, and for negative TV ads. It has paid several million to
support two presidential runs by Lenora Fulani of the now-defunct New
Alliance Party, who last year said Jews 'do the dirtiest work of
capitalism, to function as mass murderers of people of color.' It also
funded three presidential runs by John Hagelin of the now-defunct
Natural Law Party, which based its platform on a call for more
transcendental meditation. Lyndon LaRouche, convicted of mail fraud in
1988, has received millions in federal tax dollars for eight runs for
president, one of them conducted from federal prison."
Roll Call offers this
report (paid subscription required). A snippet: "Language to bring
527 groups under federal limits remains in a broader lobbying reform
package that House Members are expected to wrap work on in the next few
weeks. If that provision is not stripped from the bill--in the Rules
Committee, on the House floor or in conference, assuming it
passes--Senate Democrats could be forced to vote against broader
lobbying reform to protect 527 groups’ unfettered fundraising."
Meanwhile, Bob Bauer is skeptical
that a provision in the stand-alone 527 bill in the Senate could in
fact insulate some 501(c) organizations from coverage as political
committees. Interesting issue of statutory interpretation.
The LA Times offers this
front page report, with the subhead: "A GOP group linked to the
governor gave funds to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which put out
'independent' TV spots supporting him." It also offers this
somewhat-related story on California Pro-Life Council v.
Randolph, currently pending in the Ninth Circuit. (The Campaign
Legal Center's amicus brief in the case is here.)
-- Rick Hasen William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law Loyola Law School 919 Albany Street Los Angeles, CA 90015-1211 (213)736-1466 (213)380-3769 - fax rick.hasen@lls.edu http://www.lls.edu/academics/faculty/hasen.html http://electionlawblog.org