Libertarians Assert SB 163 is a Direct Attack
A statement from the Libertarian Party of Arkansas suggests that Libertarians are taking the introduction and Senate passage of SB 163 personally. The statement, published on the party’s website this past weekend, asserted that SB 163 ”appears to be targeted directly against the Libertarian Party.”
Referring to the fact that the Libertarian Party is the only third-party to have its candidates on the ballot in the last two elections, and that it is the only party to be attempting to do so again in 2020, Libertarians said it is “evident that this bill is intended to stifle potential competition, specifically Libertarians, in the 2020 election. “
SB 163 was introduced by Senator Trent Garner (R) of El Dorado on January 24th, passed by the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on January 29th and passed by the full Senate the next day. It would raise the petition-signature requirement for “new political parties” from 10,000 to 3% of votes in the most recent gubernatorial election—presently about 26,750.
The Libertarian Party statement described the bill as “unwarranted, unnecessary, and destructive to healthy democracy in Arkansas.”
The Libertarians also assert that SB 163 directly violates the U.S. Constitution. A federal court decision in 2006, Green Party of Arkansas v. Daniels, found that a similar 3% standard for new political parties that existed at the time was unconstitutional and invalid. The following year, the legislature adopted the current 10,000 signature requirement.
“This bill is clearly anti-democratic and blatantly unconstitutional,” said Michael Pakko, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Arkansas. “The real travesty here is that more than 250,000 Arkansans voted for at least one Libertarian candidate in 2018, but somehow that’s not good enough for the Libertarian Party to be considered a true political party under Arkansas law. Now they want to make it even harder, if not impossible, for us to continue to offer the voters a Libertarian alternative.”
The bill is on the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs agenda for tomorrow, February 6, 2019.
Referring to the fact that the Libertarian Party is the only third-party to have its candidates on the ballot in the last two elections, and that it is the only party to be attempting to do so again in 2020, Libertarians said it is “evident that this bill is intended to stifle potential competition, specifically Libertarians, in the 2020 election. “
SB 163 was introduced by Senator Trent Garner (R) of El Dorado on January 24th, passed by the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on January 29th and passed by the full Senate the next day. It would raise the petition-signature requirement for “new political parties” from 10,000 to 3% of votes in the most recent gubernatorial election—presently about 26,750.
The Libertarian Party statement described the bill as “unwarranted, unnecessary, and destructive to healthy democracy in Arkansas.”
The Libertarians also assert that SB 163 directly violates the U.S. Constitution. A federal court decision in 2006, Green Party of Arkansas v. Daniels, found that a similar 3% standard for new political parties that existed at the time was unconstitutional and invalid. The following year, the legislature adopted the current 10,000 signature requirement.
“This bill is clearly anti-democratic and blatantly unconstitutional,” said Michael Pakko, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Arkansas. “The real travesty here is that more than 250,000 Arkansans voted for at least one Libertarian candidate in 2018, but somehow that’s not good enough for the Libertarian Party to be considered a true political party under Arkansas law. Now they want to make it even harder, if not impossible, for us to continue to offer the voters a Libertarian alternative.”
The bill is on the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs agenda for tomorrow, February 6, 2019.
posted by Mark Moore (Moderator) at Tuesday, February 05, 2019
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