By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-921200.mp3
LANSING, MI –
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The state Court of Appeals has ruled that a shadowy group that calls itself the "Tea Party" should not appear on the November ballot. As Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta reports, the decision comes as the deadline for finalizing the statewide ballot is fast approaching.
AUDIO:
A group calling itself the "Tea Party" filed petitions with the state seeking a spot on the November ballot. But tea party activists say they never heard of this group or its leaders. And this "Tea Party's" only nominees are in very competitive races. So the suspicion is that this "Tea Party" is a ruse designed to siphon conservative votes from Republican candidates. Some tea party movement leaders and Republican candidates filed a lawsuit. The appeals court ruled that the petitions to put a "Tea Party" on the ballot were printed in the wrong type size. The court said that was enough for an elections board to deny the "Tea Party" a ballot spot.
This is probably not the final word on the case. It could be appealed to the state Supreme Court, which would have to make an emergency ruling before Friday's deadline to finalize the statewide ballot.
Election 2010 - WKAR
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