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LPNC ANNOUNCEMENTS - May 3, 2008

WE SCALED THE MOUNTAIN

Dear Friend of the LPNC,

Next week promises to be an exciting week for North Carolina Libertarians.

First, if all goes as planned, on Thursday, May 8, I, along with several other folks, will deliver 11 boxes containing 108,000 plus signatures that includes 72,000 plus verifed signatures of registered voters to the State Board of Elections office on Harrington Street in Raleigh.

I had moments of doubt over the last several months, but you guys came through and you contributed the dollars and collected the signatures to make this day possible. It's been a tremendous effort. I expect all the current verified signatures to back in our hands by Monday of next week, so the Thursday turn in should go off without a hitch.

OUR DAY IN COURT

The second big happening for NC Libertarians is that we finally get our day in court. Possibly two or three days in court. Our trial begins in Wake County Superior Court on Monday, May 5. It's been a long time coming. We filed the suit in September of 2005. Over the last several weeks, we have had meetings with our attorneys, we've been collecting documents to support our case, and we have practiced our testimony.

Monday the show goes on.

If you can make it to Raleigh for any of the two to three days we are in court, please try to be there. It makes a difference. When the judge looks out and sees many expectant faces, he can see the support this effort has and what it means to the people of North Carolina.

You can find a map of Raleigh parking here.

http://www.visitraleigh.com/pdf/downtown_parking.pdf

I suggest you try parking in the Moore Square lot (Square A on the map). It's just a short walk from there to the courthouse entrance on Fayetteville Street. The Wake County lot represented by the I that is right across from the courthouse is almost always full early and the traffic around it is tremendously busy. If you need additional suggestions, feel free to give me a call. (My numbers are at the end of this note.)

Several witnesses are scheduled to testify: me, Sean Haugh, Dr. Mike Munger (professor at DUke University and the LPNC's gubernatorial candidate), Richard Winger (expert witness on ballot access issues nationwide), Dr. Steven Greene (professor from NCSU addressing importance of third parties), and several witnesses from the intervenors (the Green Party) such as Hart Matthews, Elena Everett, and Gary Newman.

Our claim is that N.C. Gen. Stat. =A7 163-96 and 97 impermissibly burdens our rights of free expression, association, due process, equal protection, and free elections under the North Carolina Constitution, and specifically that the statutes are not narrowly tailored to protect a compelling governmental interest and that when the entire scheme regulating ballot access and political parties is considered as a whole, it imposes a series of severe burdens on the parties and their members, the cumulative effect of which is to deny the rights to expression and association, free elections, vote for all offices, and run for office.

The state will argue that the statutes are in place to protect the NC voter from ballot clutter. They will also argue that, even if we are right, the court should not decide in our favor because it is a matter for the legislature.

It will be an interesting several days.

Now the kicker. No matter what the outcome, there will almost certainly be an appeal. These things are seldom decided at this level. The question that remains will be can we afford to continue the fight. We have already invested in excess of $60,000 in this effort. We could easily have to spend an additional $20,000 to $30,000 before it's all over.

Please help us see this through. We are extremely low on funds. It would be devastating to the LPNC if we had to suspend our legal action because we simply can't afford to do so. I know you want us to see this through as much as I do.

Please help. Make your best contribution today.

We need these funds right away.

If you can't afford a big donation, a smaller generous monthly pledge is a big help. A pledge lets us know how much income we can anticipate and lets us plan much better. I know you are as anxious as I am to see this lawsuit come to an end. We are hoping for a positive result. Please help us continue this effort by making a donation or a pledge today.

Thanks for all you do. Hope to see you in court on Monday. And, I'll most definitely be joining you at the polls on Election Day.

Barbara

P.S. My contact numbers are 919-690-1423 (home) and 919-475-2371 (cell). Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions.

P.P.S. We have come this far. It would be a shame to have to give up now. Please donate or pledge today. We can't finish without your help.