Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Phillip Rhodes <mindcrime AT cpphacker.co.uk>]

Hey all, some of  you might be interested in this.
There is a rally this week to suppor the "Electoral
Fairness Act." If passed, this act would make it
significantly easier for 3rd parties to gain ballot
access in NC.  Details below:

TTYL,

Phil



NEWS RELEASE
LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1821 Hillandale Rd. #1B-253 * Durham NC 27705
www.lpnc.org
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March 20, 2005

For more information contact:
    Barbara Howe, Chair
    Telephone: 919.690.1423

Libertarians Support Electoral Fairness Act

DURHAM (March 20) -- Libertarians want to give North Carolina voters as
many
choices at the polls as Iraqis had in their recent election. They will be
lobbying the General Assembly Tuesday and Wednesday on behalf of electoral
reform.

Currently "new" political parties must gather in excess of 69,000 verified
signatures to be recognized in North Carolina. Across the country, only one
state has a higher requirement.

NC Libertarians will be asking legislators to support House Bill 88, the
Electoral Fairness Act. This bill would effectively reduce the signature
requirement to just over 17,500, bringing us in line with other states.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Paul Miller (D-Durham) and co-sponsored by
Reps. Paul Luebke (D-Durham), John Rayfield (R-Gaston), Paul Stam (R-Wake)
and Jennifer Weiss (D-Wake).

Former Libertarian Presidential candidate Michael Badnarik will come all
the
way from Texas to help. He'll be joined by LPNC chair Barbara Howe, the
party's 2004 gubernatorial candidate.

The effort will kick off with a news conference and rally Tuesday, March 22
at 11 a.m. in front of the Legislative Bldg, 16 W. Jones St.  Then
Libertarians, Green Party members and other political reform activists will
fan out to visit individual legislators.

The next day, Libertarians will continue their lobbying. They also plan to
attend the meeting of the House Election Law Committee, scheduled for 1
p.m.
in Room 1425.

"The Libertarian Party spent over $100,000 in our last petition drive -
hardly an affordable price tag just to get candidates on the ballot," said
Howe.  In the last legislative session a similar bill made it out of
committee on a unanimous vote. "But it was blocked from a hearing on the
full House floor because of a spat between the sponsor and Richard Morgan,
who thankfully is no longer co-speaker," Howe said.

-30-

The text and status of the bill is on the General Assembly's website at:

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2005&BillID=h88 

<http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2005&BillID=h88>

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