Via email:
Dear Friend of Liberty,
For reasons sadly unknown to me, the title of my regular column in the LP News is “Chairman’s Travelogue,” which is ironic, because I write the column at home and it usually doesn’t involve me going anywhere.
But today, that title is not a misnomer. I am headed to Oklahoma, where I will speak at the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma convention on Saturday, and, on Monday, I will personally lobby members of the Oklahoma legislature and speak at a press conference regarding HB1072, a bill that would greatly reduce the number of signatures needed for a previously unrecognized political party in that state (e.g., the Libertarian Party) to gain ballot access. Oklahoma currently has ballot access laws that are among the toughest of all the states.
HB1072 made great progress through the legislature last year and is poised to move forward to possible enactment this year. One of the reasons that we made greater progress with this bill in this legislative term than we did previously was that Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform (OBAR), which the Libertarian National Committee, among others, has financially supported in this effort, hired a former state Senator to lobby the legislature.
While the results have been positive to this point, it has unfortunately drained OBAR’s bank account. To see this lobbying effort through to success, and future years of far less costly ballot access in The Sooner State, may take more funding, and OBAR may ultimately have to call on the Libertarian National Committee to provide the contributions that no other minor parties have been able to make.
You’ve probably heard of the phrase “If it is to be, then it is up to me.” That’s the situation in which the Libertarian National Committee usually finds itself when it comes to advancing causes that benefit all smaller political parties in the US. While that is unfortunate, that should not stop us from doing what benefits us–and what is right.
Your contribution to the LNC might be the difference in keeping this effort for reasonable ballot access laws going in Oklahoma. Your contribution will help keep the ongoing petition drive in Illinois for 50,000 total signatures for ballot access this year (and, hopefully, in 2012, as well) going.
And, your contribution might make the difference in putting a newly revitalized Libertarian Party of Nebraska on the ballot this year. The Democratic Party is not running someone for State Auditor there this year. If we can complete a 5,500 valid signature petition by August 2, and if our candidate for State Auditor can earn at least 5% of the vote in a two-way race (highly likely, don’t you think?), then we will have ballot status for the 2012 election in Nebraska.
We also have many candidates (493 and growing) across the nation this year, many of whom will be provided with campaign assistance from the national office.
These and other ongoing needs of the Libertarian Party will be met with your most generous financial contribution to the Libertarian National Committee.
Thank you very much, and I fervently hope to report success to you soon regarding reduced ballot access barriers in Oklahoma.
Sincerely,
William Redpath
Chairman
Libertarian National Committee
Free-speech group flags First Amendment violations
AP
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By ZINIE CHEN SAMPSON, Associated Press Writer Zinie Chen Sampson, Associated Press Writer – Tue Apr 13, 12:02 am ET
RICHMOND, Va. – Banning the sale of wine because of a nude, bike-riding nymph on the label of the bottle. Confining campus protests to a “free-speech patio.” Keeping street performers off the Las Vegas Strip.
Those were some of the actions that the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression cited Tuesday in awarding its dubious “Muzzle” awards. The Charlottesville center awards the Muzzles annually to mark the April 13 birthday of Jefferson — its namesake, the third president and free-speech advocate.
Center director Bob O’Neil said that while the 10 winners of the 2010 awards were geographically diverse, they didn’t include any corporations or other private entities as in past years — all are government and school officials.
Just what is effectiveness of which you speak?
D. Frank Robinson,
I think all of us here are in favor of NO ballot access restriction (or very very low ones, like filling out the paperwork and paying $50). Indeed, most of the Libertarians and Constitutionalists here are probably in favor of the private ballot, too. However, for now, this is the most effective method of getting better ballot access laws.
You can petition. You can sue all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. You can attempt an initiative petition for ballot access relief. You can lobby the D & R legislators for ballot access relief. Can you think of anything else for people to try in Oklahoma?
I can only think of one more thing to do. I think it should be done nationwide from Hawaii to Maine. It can be done by all the parties regardless of any other ideological differences.
Advocate the abolition of ballot access restrictions. No petitioning, no filing fees, no tolerance for incumbent entrenchment devices (IEDs). Nothing too radical or untried in this idea. It’s the way it was before the adoption of the Australian or secret ballot in the late 19th century and in a few states even into the 20th century.
The adoption of the secret ballot was used a pretense to suppress alternatives parties. It is not necessary to restrict access by candidates and their parties to the ballot to administer valid elections by secret ballot.
There is no such thing as more choices or too many candidates than voters deserve. The two-party system has failed the people just as unrestrained power always fails to keep the people safe from predators.
No more making nice, nice. Refuse to vote another rotten ballot. Start anywhere. Abolition or secession! Tear down that wall!
Good work Bill…Oklahoma where the wind and petition gatherers must come sweeping down the plain….and the Green Party does well…
Another Great Green Party Success at the ballot box…
In the election on Sunday in Hungry the Green Party soared…
The Green Party increased their vote …quadruppled the Green Party Vote from 2009..
With nearly 8 per cent of the vote the Green Party cleared the 5% requirement and will be in the Hungry legislature with 3 other parties…
Green Party Watch reporting tonight..
A Green Party Press Conference Tuesday evening at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
features Green Party leaders Pat LaMarche and Jesse Johnson
http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2010/04/12/the-peoples-lobby-forum-on-corporate-money-in-us-politics-election-reform/
Trent Hill // Apr 11, 2010:
“worthy of support from any third party activist ……..”
And the silence from the reform movement Hoffpauires of Tipton, OK, has been deafening!
I send a contribution today.
Seems worthy of support from any third party activist.
Yes, by all means, support ballot access efforts. The Nebraska situation looks promising.
I have been wondering for years whether Native Americans have the right to run their own slate of candidates. It would make great sense in OK for them to run a N.A. slate of Greens & Libertarians with a national PLAS executive ticket.