Monthly Archives: September 2015

“Presidential Fundraising: New CFI Table Arrays the Sources of Candidates’ Early Money”

September 7, 2015, 9:16 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Campaign Finance Institute: We know by now that the presidential campaigns raised early money from mega-donors at an unprecedented clip, with most of the money during the first half of 2015 going into legally independent Super PACs. The Campaign… Continue reading

“Inside the battle to overhaul overtime — and what it says about how lobbying has changed”

September 7, 2015, 9:12 amlobbyingRick Hasen

WaPo: The week before Labor Day may be a quiet one in Washington. But in the nation’s capital and across the country, legions of lawyers and lobbyists are scrambling to weigh in one of the most consequential regulations of… Continue reading

Sunstein Criticizes Lessig and Warren on Whether the System is “Rigged”

September 4, 2015, 5:57 pmcampaign finance, political parties, political polarizationRick Hasen

Cass Sunstein: It is unquestionably true that money often distorts political outcomes, because it plays an intolerably large role in the political system. Warren, Sanders and Lessig are right to emphasize that moneyed interests sometimes block desirable action. As Nobel… Continue reading

“Florida Supreme Court allows for another redistricting session, but orders trial court to take charge”

September 4, 2015, 5:45 pmredistrictingRick Hasen

Miami Herald: The Florida Supreme Court on Friday ordered the trial court to return to the redistricting drawing board, allowing it to review the rival maps submitted by the House and Senate and choose between them. The court rejected… Continue reading

“Voter ID Battle: Texas Seeks Rehearing, DOJ Seeks Injunction”

September 4, 2015, 5:38 pmSupreme Court, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Texas Lawyer: Texas has asked the full bench of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to rehear civil rights plaintiffs’ case against the state’s voter ID law after a three-judge panel from the same court ruled that… Continue reading

“Talk in G.O.P. Turns to a Stop Donald Trump Campaign”

September 4, 2015, 5:35 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: But the mammoth big-money network assembled by Republicans in recent years is torn about how best to defuse the threat Mr. Trump holds for their party, and haunted by the worry that any concerted attack will backfire. In… Continue reading

“Hundreds rally in Raleigh for voting rights”

September 3, 2015, 11:04 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

WRAL: Hundreds of people marched through downtown Raleigh on Thursday evening and rallied near the State Capitol in support of voting rights. The demonstration is part of the NAACP’s Journey for Justice march, which began Aug. 1 in Selma,… Continue reading

“Ethics probe finds California Rep. Honda may have mixed official and campaign business”

September 3, 2015, 11:02 pmcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

WaPo: A congressional ethics panel announced Thursday that Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) may have improperly used tax-payer funded congressional staff and resources for campaign activity in 2012 and 2014. A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) found… Continue reading

“Anti-Citizens United initiative case to be argued in October”

September 3, 2015, 10:57 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

At the Lectern: Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association v. Padilla — the case to decide whether the Legislature can ask the voters to give their advisory opinion whether the United States Constitution should be amended to overturn the United States Supreme… Continue reading

“With flourish, Trump rejects independent bid if he loses GOP nomination”

September 3, 2015, 6:26 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

LAT: Election lawyers say the pledge is not legally binding because it does not promise the parties anything in return for their loyalty. “As a matter of contract law, it doesn’t look like an enforceable contract,” said UC Irvine… Continue reading

Irregular Blogging the Next Few Weeks

September 3, 2015, 5:01 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

I’m on my way to #APSA, and between APSA and my talk at Ohio State in early October, I have a number of speaking engagements, internal and external administrative and scholarly deadlines, and family obligations. So expect blogging to be… Continue reading

Major Benchslap to Nevada Federal District Court Judge Robert Jones by 9th Circuit

September 3, 2015, 4:57 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

In the NVRA case I just mentioned, the Ninth Circuit took the rare step of reassigning a case away from federal district court Robert Jones. (This is not the first smackdown of Judge Jones by the Ninth Circuit). Here’s… Continue reading

“Ninth Circuit Hands Victory to Voting Rights Groups in Public Assistance Voter Registration Case”

September 3, 2015, 4:53 pmelection administration, NVRA (motor voter)Rick Hasen

This is a big deal: Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision reinstating a case challenging the State of Nevada’s failure to provide federally required voter registration services to its low-income citizens. … Continue reading

“Bloomberg Law Brief: Voting Booth Selfies”

September 3, 2015, 1:01 pmvotingRick Hasen

(Bloomberg) — Richard Hasen, Professor of Law and Politics at University of California – Irvine, and Timothy Zick, Professor of Law at William & Mary, discuss whether a law that bans taking selfies in the voting booth is unconstitutional. They… Continue reading