Missouri Senate Committee Hears Testimony on Bill to Move Independent Petition Deadline from July to March

April 1st, 2008
Ballot Access News
On March 31, the Missouri Senate Financial, Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee held a hearing on HB 1310. That bill moves the independent candidate petition deadline from late July to March. It does not exclude presidential independents. For that reason, the bill is clearly unconstitutional under Anderson v Celebrezze, and also McCarthy v Kirkpatrick.

Barbara Woodruff, chair of Show Me Independents, testified against the bill and furnished each Senator with a copy of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Anderson v Celebrezze. The bill’s sponsor did not try to argue that his bill would be upheld. He merely stated that he doesn’t want anyone running against him, and not having to declare a candidacy until July of the election year. The Committee will decide later whether to pass the bill or not.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• "We're frustrated!" Missouri independent voters form Show Me Independents "The US has been profoundly hurt by ideological and political labeling..." (St. Louis Post Dispatch)


• Cultural divide, political polarization (Des Moines Register)


• Right Ideas, Wrong Party-The Kucinich Quandary (CounterPunch)


• Is Ron Paul quirky enough to get elected? (Politico) and Ron Paul: A spoiler, not a contender (Politico) NOTE: We wish this report was ironic, but alas, in the BizarroWorld of the MSM, it's all about the votes. News: for some candidates, it's not about the votes, it's about the message, stupid!


• Poll: the Clintons are okay (Washington Post)


• Obama Tries to Overcome Clinton’s African-American Advantage (CQ Politics)


• Virginia: Candidate Redmond faces party sanctions for political gaffe (Journal Press)


• Oregon: At the Heart of Who We Are as a People - "impeachment is essential" (by John Frohnmayer-OpEdNews)


• Lesser known gubernatorial candidates depend on stumping, Internet to get out message -- debate tonight (Shreveport Times)


• The Netroots Battlefield in the ’08 Presidential Campaign-Declarations of the Death of Blogger Power Are Greatly Exaggerated (Special to The Narco News Bulletin) NOTE: Tied to Dems? That's a slow painful death.....