Idaho Governor signs Bill to thwart one particular candidate
On April 11, Idaho Governor Butch Otter signed S.1514. It takes effect immediately. It says that if someone changes his name and then runs for office, the ballot will list both the candidate’s new name and the old name. The bill was introduced because Marvin Richardson had changed his name last year to “Pro-Life” and is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The primary is May 27. The ballot will now say, “Pro-Life, Formerly Known as Marvin Richardson.”
April 15th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Michigan will report your former name for a number of years.
I think this is a good law, as it makes looking into the background of a candidate much easier.
April 15th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I think you’re right Tom.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I kinda think they’re giving too much attention to him. I even heard Rush Limbaugh talking about him.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I think this is a dumb Bill.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
According to the state’s election web site, Pro-Life is running as an independent, not a Republican.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:45 am
This bill was signed by “Wolf Butcher, formerly known as Butch R. Otter”.
April 16th, 2008 at 7:22 am
Yes, here in Michigan we require old names for a certain number of years. Usually this is not a big deal, recently married women who changed their name have their maiden name appear on the ballot, and that seems reasonable.
In my state representative district last election there was a person who was upset about this rule because it required her to include her old name, Charles, and she thought that having the gender change show up on the ballot was not fair.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:23 am
It’s interesting the bill was signed by a politician who goes by a nickname. Though I have to say, “Butch Otter” is the coolest gubernatorial name in the U.S. right now. “Piyush Jindal” is cool, too—but he also goes by a nickname.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:23 am
How did the process work before birth certificates in America?