OWL Party
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The OWL Party of Washington was a minor political party founded in a tavern and jazz club, the Tumwater Conservatory, in Tumwater, Washington, to field candidates in the 1976 elections.[citation needed]
History
[edit]The party was founded by the owner of a jazz club, Red Kelly, to change Washington's liquor laws.[citation needed]
The party's name, OWL, was a double acronym, standing for "Out With Logic, On With Lunacy", and its motto was "We don't give a hoot!".[1]
The OWL Party secured a place on the ballot for the 1976 elections. The relative ease with which this party gained access to the electoral process, however, forced the Washington State Legislature to re-evaluate and increase the barriers for minor-party access to the ballot. The changes were challenged, unsuccessfully, by established minor parties like the Socialist Workers Party.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ Katz, Dean (5 October 1986). "Owl rib: Joke keeps going – to the Supreme Court". Seattle Times. p. B-6.
- ↑ [no title cited / arguments made to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the OWL Party]. oyez.org (audio recording / MP3). United States Supreme Court. c. 1986.
External links
[edit]- "OWL Party prompts election law change". Event timeline / Legacy project. secstate.wa.gov. Secretary of State. Olympia, WA: State of Washington. 1977. Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- U.S. Supreme Court minor party ruling, "Munro v. Socialist Workers Party" (court ruling). 1986 – via caselaw.lp.findlaw.com.
- "Remembering Red". The Red Kelly Collection. Tacoma, WA: Tacoma Public Library.
- Anderson, Rick (15 October 1984). "Sellout Owl Party goes out on a limb by spurning its political roots". Seattle Times.
- Stripling, Sherry (21 September 1986). "Political funny business – the healthy state of humor in Washington politics". Seattle Times.
- "OWL Party". ourcampaigns.com. party ID 1746.
- [no title cited / arguments made U.S. Supreme Court regarding the OWL Party]. oyez.org (audio recording / MP3). United States Supreme Court. c. 1986. — The U.S. Supreme Court arguments, available in MP3 format, capture the essence of the debates surrounding minor-party access during that period.