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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>I thank the Lobbying
Department at LPHQ for issuing the press release below.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>It has a good balance
of righteousness indignation and facts. I hope some media outlets pick it
up for their publications <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>or web sites.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> Scott
Lieberman Region 4 Alternate, LNC <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Scott L.
[mailto:<st1:PersonName w:st="on">scott73@earthlink.net</st1:PersonName>] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, April 09, 2015
7:44 AM<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> 'lnc-business'<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Texas</st1:State></st1:place> bill to reduce the number of third
party candidates who make it onto the ballot<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>It would be nice if we could get our Lobbying Department
to lobby against this.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'><a
href="http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2015/04/texas-bill-to-force-minor-party-candidates-to-pay-filing-fees-passes-committee/">http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2015/04/texas-bill-to-force-minor-party-candidates-to-pay-filing-fees-passes-committee/</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> Scott Lieberman<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p style='margin-bottom:24.0pt'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>For immediate release<br>
April 13, 2015<br>
<br>
<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><strong><b><font
face="Times New Roman">Texas</font></b></strong></st1:place></st1:State><strong><b><font
face="Times New Roman"> Republican attacks Libertarian voting rights</font></b></strong><br>
<br>
Republican state representative Drew Springer of Muenster, <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:State> has filed HB
464, a bill to require minor party nominees to pay filing fees.<br>
<br>
Libertarian National Committee executive director Wes Benedict commented,
"Republican Drew Springer's bill is a poll tax on minor parties,
including the Libertarian Party. It's an injustice, and it's
unconstitutional."<br>
<br>
The bill would require all minor party nominees to pay fees to be allowed
to appear on the November election ballot. The fees range as high as $5,000,
depending on the office.<br>
<br>
Kurt Hildebrand, chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas, said, "This
law would effectively shut down third parties in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:State>, and I believe that is the intent
behind it."<br>
<br>
According to ballot access expert Richard Winger, the U.S. Supreme Court
has ruled twice that this sort of filing fee is unconstitutional.<br>
<br>
On April 6, the Texas House Elections Committee voted 5-1 in favor of the
bill. (Five Republicans voted yes, one Democrat voted no.)<br>
<br>
Similar bills have been filed by Texas Republicans in past legislative
sessions.<br>
<br>
Benedict explained, "Republicans have claimed in the past that their
bills make things 'fair' because Republicans and Democrats have to pay
filing fees for their primaries. Nothing could be further from the truth.<br>
<br>
"Republicans and Democrats have to pay primary fees because their
primary elections are financed by taxpayers. Political parties are private
organizations, even though they are regulated by the state. Nevertheless,
taxpayers are forced to hand over a lot of money to help the Republicans
and Democrats pick their nominees. The filing fees pay for a tiny fraction
of these costs.<br>
<br>
"Libertarians and Greens, on the other hand, don't use primaries. We
don't force the taxpayers to pay for our nomination process. So there's no
reason our candidates should be forced to pay any fees.<br>
<br>
"If Republicans and Democrats are upset about their primary filing
fees, they should just get rid of them. They control 100% of the seats in
the legislature, so it should be pretty easy for them.<br>
<br>
"The purpose of Drew Springer's bill is simple: it has nothing to do
with fairness, it's just an attempt to shut all minor parties out of the
election process. If this bill gets passed, there will be many more
unopposed Republicans and unopposed Democrats in the 2016 elections.<br>
<br>
"Representative Drew Springer has also filed a bill to prohibit school
districts from offering same-sex couples the same benefits as opposite-sex
couples. That gives us an idea of what 'fair' means to him.<br>
<br>
"I urge legislators who support democracy to oppose this poll tax,
which is designed to silence minority opinions.<br>
<br>
"This is <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
The people should decide who gets to run for office, not the incumbents.
Libertarians stand for freedom on every issue, and we oppose bullies who
would try to stop us from participating in the election process."<br>
<br>
Benedict added, "<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:State>
isn't the only place that Republicans are trying to step on voting rights.
In <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Hampshire</st1:place></st1:State>,
the Republican National Committee is trying to get involved in a lawsuit
over the state's petitioning law. The law was changed in 2013 to make it
harder for small parties to get petition signatures to appear on the
ballot. The Libertarian Party filed a lawsuit against the change, but the
Republican National Committee is trying to intervene in support of the
change."<br>
<br>
Wes Benedict is the executive director of the Libertarian National
Committee, and he served as executive director of the Libertarian Party of
Texas from 2004 to 2008.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>###<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
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style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Verdana'>Paid for by the Libertarian
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Content not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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