{news} Ballot Access News covers Connecticut Green Party Court Hearing

[David Bedell]

http://www.ballot-access.org/2007/06/06/connecticut-green-party-court-hearing-today
Ballot Access News
edited by Richard Winger

Connecticut Green Party Court Hearing
June 6th, 2007

On June 6, U.S. District Court Judge Stefan Underhill, a Clinton appointee,
held a hearing in Green Party of Connecticut v Garfield, 3:06cv-1030. The
judge seemed to give no indication of his thoughts, but he did indicate he
would probably rule in a week or two. The issue is the discriminatory
aspects of Connecticut's public funding law for candidates for state office.
All candidates who seek public funding are required to collect a certain
number of $5 contributions (the number of contributions depends on which
office is being sought). However, independents and candidates of new parties
need a petition signed by 20% of the voters as well as meeting the
contribution requirement.

Connecticut, assisted by the Brennan Center, argued that the case should not
even receive a trial. The Brennan Center issued a press release on June 6,
titled, "Brennan Center Urges Federal Court to Dismiss Challenge to
Connecticut Campaign Finance Law." The press release says "In 1976 the
Supreme Court in Buckley v Valeo upheld a federal public financing system
for presidential elections that is very similar to Connecticut's law in its
treatment of minor party candidates." This sentence is not true.

The federal law treated all presidential candidates seeking the nomination
of a party exactly alike. They all had to raise $5,000 in each of 20 states.
Their party affiliation was irrelevant.

The federal law limited general election public funding to parties that had
polled 5% of the vote in the last election (or, if they got 5% in the
current election, they got funding immediately after the election was over).
It is true that part of the federal program meant that certain parties
received this type of funding and certain other parties didn't. But the
standard was objectively non-discriminatory. It was the same standard for
every party. By analogy, if Connecticut required the same number of $5
contributions for every candidate, that would match the federal system. Some
candidates would get the public funding and others wouldn't, but the
standard is the same for all.

By contrast, Connecticut has a lower standard for Democrats and Republicans,
and a higher standard for independents and new parties.

The Brennan Center press release also mislead its readers, by saying that
Tom Sevigny, described as a founder of the Connecticut Green Party, supports
the law. The press release does not mention that Sevigny is no longer a
member of the Green Party. He is a registered independent.

The Brennan Center was very helpful to minor parties from its founding in
the 1990's, through 2003. It has new leadership and has become an enemy of
minor party members and independent voters.