INDIANAPOLIS -- The Libertarian Party of Indiana plans to hold a "drink-in" Sunday to protest a new law closing the so-called "cold-beer loophole" Ricker's convenience stores discovered.

The protest, which will be held from 3-5 p.m. Sunday at the Ricker's located at 1711 25th Street in Columbus, Indiana, will object to the "unnecessary and extensively over-reaching laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages in Indiana."

"Attempts have been made to restore economic liberty in alcohol sales in the past," the party said in a statement Tuesday. "However, these attempts typically result in the laws benefiting a select group of well-funded, politically connected businesses, while excluding other businesses. Rickers was on the losing end of one such piece of recent legislation."

In May, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed HEA1496 into law, mandating that beginning May 14, "a restaurant may not sell carryout unless at least 60 percent of its gross retail income from alcoholic beverage sales is derived from sales of alcoholic beverages consumed on the premises.

At the time, Holcomb said he signed the law "with the understanding we need to review and make common-sense changes to Indiana's alcohol laws."

PREVIOUS|Indiana alcohol laws: From common sense to nonsense

On Monday, Ricker's released the results of a poll it commissioned that found 70 percent of Hoosiers surveyed believed drug, grocery and convenience stores should have the right to carry cold beer.

The poll also found Hoosiers "strongly favored allowing Sunday carryout sales."

Indiana remains the only state in the U.S. with an outright ban on alcohol sales on Sunday. Bills have been introduced during the past three sessions to lift that ban, but all three have failed.

RELATED|Ricker's finds way around Indiana law banning cold beer sales at gas stations|Indiana legislature passes bill to prevent Ricker's cold-beer sales|Package liquor stores run radio ad targeting legal loophole that allowed Ricker's to sell cold beer|Bill allowing Ricker's to sell cold beer - for now - gets Senate approval, moves to discussions|Halting cold beer sales at Ricker's trickier than expected

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Indiana Libertarian Party holding 'drink-in' to protest new cold beer law - WRTV Indianapolis

Libertarians are, in all honesty, the cringe lords of Facebook. Theyve become the Jehovahs witnesses of the internet.

Libertarianism is a movement with a ton of wonderful people in it, many simply read paperwork on economics and policy, are very smart and go on to living productive and happy lives. That said, it seems like these are only one in every dozen. The rest are a combination of Chris Cantwell, James Weeks, and a bunch of people somewhere on the spectrum, they are not the best marketers.

Ive made a list of ten things libertarians seem to be doing (common and bizarre trends) which are not helping in making their movement a thing.

Lets explain something very basic. If you want to be a person, be a freaking person! Theres nothing more bizarre, or weird, than when someone sees a Facebook profile of a dude they know, went to school with, or are related to, and its just some ugly Facebook profile photo of a dumb meme saying some libertarian buzzword.

Have a photo with friends!

Have a photo looking good!

Have a photo visiting a cool location!

Do not be some junk mass produced meme!

This is something that belongs higher on the list, but its something to just get out of the way early on.

I have questions for many libertarians: Do you hold a masters or PhD in economics? Are you some sort of successful business owner? Are you someone of really any relevance in this world?

Look at the podcasts, the blogs, the candidates, and more. Its all people who, wellarent anybody.

However, its all Oh, like my Facebook page devoted to me! I have a dozen of them!

Its great to be smart. Its great to want to be a face in a movement. Its not great to come off as an egotistical prick Im looking at you Steve Patterson.

This one I just dont really get, the economy and world is a wonderful place, and Ive noticed a lot of libertarians (more so the Ron Paul people) saying the world will come to an end if libertarianism doesnt take over. Ive flat out had people say America is in the verge of becoming a third world nation, and thats just silly.

Life is awesome, and whether its Trump, Bernie, Clinton, or whoever, America and the world has a positive future.

This is where we enter the world of creepertarians.

Yes, I want prostitution to be legal. Yes, I think it is a big issue for some people. However, unless you are a woman, just dont make this your issue. The numbers of creepy people I see who fixate on this random issue (all of whom tend to be socially autistic males) needs to stop.

This is a Libertarian Party problem and its a big one. The LP, to survive, needs big and powerful names.

We need to get on the phone with every millionaire and billionaire who didnt vote for Trump or Clinton and find out if they are compatible with libertarianism. We need to go beg Jeff Flake, Rand Paul, Bill Weld and Justin Amash to be in the liberty movement.

When I see these non-candidates being taken as serious contenders, I laugh and so do non libertarians.

I have never had a drink of alcohol. I have never smoked pot. I have never smoked a cigarette. I have never consumed any caffeine. I dont plan to.

This is where I sadly had an issue with Gary Johnson, a guy I really admire.

I idolize Gary Johnson as the libertarian governor who would climb mountains and build companies. Im not so fixated on him running around talking about how much he loves marijuana.

Now, with Gary its kind of cool. Having a guy that successful actually saying how he has casually smoked marijuana and is still a giant success is cool. However, when less successful libertarians run around talking about their bag of pot, we have an issue.

Remember, every time a libertarian wears a fedora, three Bernie backers are born.

Julie Borowski is probably the best speaker in the liberty movement now who actually makes good content. To see a bunch of freaky dudes online say very perverse things to her in the comments on her Facebook is gross.

Also, this goes beyond Julie into how a lot of libertarians treat women in general. Some just need to grow up.

Want libertarianism to work?

Talk about deregulation in the energy markets cutting costs to ten bucks a barrel.

Talk about making it so undocumented workers will get amnesty.

Talk about the FDA being restructured to allow for massively lower priced pills.

Talk about a practical plan to cut taxes in half.

Talk about how great itd be to have a generation that didnt have to go to war.

The NAP is a philosophical BS statement that no non- libertarian understands and those who run on about it should just get a community college philosophy class to teach at.

Taxation is theft is a meme, taxes need to exist. This is a dumb radicalism.

And the biggest of them all, number one

One big mistake, is that too many libertarians get obsessed with this and become little else than someone obsessed with politics. Travel the world. Succeed in academics or business. Take up cool hobbies such as music, art, archery or whatever. Do not be that jackass posting twenty times a day on Facebook about some stupid topic.

Thats all Ive got.

This post was written by Charles Peralo.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

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10 Ways Not To Make Your Friends Libertarian - Being Libertarian

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BATAVIA Libertarians in Genesee County know they have three Batavia City Council candidates that match their philosophy.

If the election goes their way, the party also believes it could have a working majority on most issues.

We could flip the script in how this city how things are run, said Jim Rosenbeck, the Genesee County Libertarian Partys secretary. There are people on the council that are very Libertarian at least on some issues. We could make serious changes.

Rosenbeck and Lisa Whitehead, who were endorsed for City Council at the Genesee County Libertarian Partys inaugural convention in 2013, received the same honor Monday.

Rosenbeck and Whitehead will be joined by Mark Potwora, the local partys vice chairman, in a challenge for a trio of at-large seats up for election in November. They see it as an honest one.

Were going to offer an unashamably libertarian position on the issues, without being insulting or derogative to the other people that have served, Rosenbeck said. Its simply a different view that we consider wiser heading forward.

That means a platform calling for decisive action, Whitehead told party members. And a less obtrusive one, Potwora added.

The citys managerial style is at its apex, Whitehead said, and its not generating results.

We have the mall, which is being kicked down the road, she said. Council seems to create these answers and not follow through on them. We have the police station, weve done surveys, task forces, and it falls through.

There are many issues that tend to fall through the cracks, she continued. Its a managerial issue. Going forward, we need to make a change in that spot.

Potwora said there are solutions to issues like where you park your car, or how frequently you mow your lawn.

Whatever the problems are, I think we can do it on our own, rather than the city making it a certain way, Potwora said. Help your neighbor mow their lawn, not rat them out (to the city).

Potwora, Rosenbeck and Whitehead were nominated by unanimous acclaim during a party convention at T.F. Browns on Monday, but will have to secure petitions to qualify for the ballot.

The partys status in New York determined by a below 50,000-vote turnout of its gubernatorial candidates technically makes them run as independent candidates.

Convention attendees heard from Larry Sharpe, a contender for the partys candidate for governor in 2018, and New York State Chairman Mark Glogowski.

What we need is a very clear image of what we stand for its the way you live, Glogowski said in a in-person expression of optimism about the partys growth in chapters and members.

Sharpe focused on making personal connections. Talking via Skype, he discussed the City Centre issue with the candidates.

Libertarians cant make the first response to the question be the one about taxpayers paying for it, he counseled them some people wont care.

Id want to start with that its a terrible eyesore, Sharpe said.

It diverts from improving parks and roads that people use, Potwora said. It embarrasses a community that wants its city to look its best. Let someone buy it and fix the site up.

Thats the libertarian answer, Sharpe said. Thats what you need, to have the answers, the kind of conversation that will get things moving forward at a local level. Those conversations will help tremendously.

Rosenbeck said he favored getting out of the mall business, but allowed a vision that went farther. Could the citys white elephant become, under private investment, an enlarged draw for youth hockey by replacing it with rinks and the Falletti Ice Arena replaced with a new police station adjoining the existing fire station?

I know that sounds pie in the sky, but I want us to look at big answers, Rosenbeck said. If were going to run on just who has to pay for the flowers on Main Street, go elect a Republican or Democrat. Thats not what were here for.

Excerpt from:

City candidates: Libertarians plan to run on big ideas - The Daily News Online

Christopher Schmidt, a political activist from Washington County, on Monday announced he has established a committee to explore running for Congress in the 21st District in 2018 on the Libertarian Party line.

Schmidt said he is hoping as soon as possible to formally announce his candidacy once his committee finishes its analysis.

The momentum is building right now. As a Libertarian in the North Country, I know I can change the narrative, he said in a telephone interview on Monday.

Schmidt, age 30, is a day laborer, writer and political activist who has been vocal on redrawing voting districts in Queensbury and Glens Falls, and in opposition to Glens Falls Police Department using tasers.

He is temporary chairman of the newly-formed Washington County Libertarian Party and was a co-founder of the Warren County Libertarian Party.

Schmidt, if he gets on the ballot, would challenge U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro.

Patrick Nelson of Stillwater, a political activist and Bernie Sanders delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention, is seeking the Democratic nomination.

At least two Green Party members are seriously considering the congressional race, Matt Funiciello, the Green Party candidate in 2014 and 2016, has said.

Schmidt, in a press release, said nearly a dozen individuals are serving on his exploratory committee.

He would not identify committee members on Monday.

Theres a range of people. Im hoping that we can get our official list for the media in the future, but definitely people that have been involved in the Libertarian movement from here out to Jefferson County, even surrounding counties, he said.

At first it was going to be a write-in (campaign.) But then I got some support and now theres some people that want me to be on the ballot and theyre willing to get the 3,500 signatures, he said.

Because the Libertarian Party does not have ballot status in New York, the partys House candidates must run as independents, which requires at least 3,500 valid signatures on nominating petitions, a daunting task in comparison with established political parties.

Republican and Democratic candidates need collect only 1,250 valid signatures from enrolled party members in the congressional district to get on the ballot.

Candidates on other established ballot lines in the 21st District require from three to 1,237 signatures 5 percent of enrollment based on current enrollment statistics.

The most recent local Libertarian congressional candidate was Eric Sundwall in the 2009 special election after Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, was appointed to the U.S. Senate.

Sundwall was disqualified from the ballot when the state Board of Election ruled that only 2,900 of 6,730 signatures on his nominating petitions were valid.

Sundwall, at the time, said the Board of Elections invalidated many signatures based on minor technicalities.

Follow staff writer Maury Thompson at All Politics is Local blog, at PS_Politics on Twitter and at Maury Thompson Post-Star on Facebook.

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Schmidt exploring Libertarian congressional run - Glens Falls Post-Star (blog)

PIERRE There is plenty on the plate already for the 15 members of the Legislatures task force on initiatives, referrals and constitutional amendments who convene later this month.

Presentations and testimony pack two days of meetings on Tuesday, June 20, and Wednesday, June 21.

Rep. David Lust of Rapid City, a former House Republican leader, sponsored the legislation creating the task force.

During the first House debate on it, Lust said: I think this is prudent policy and I hope good things come from the task force.

He said a task force isnt normally his preferred option. He described them generally as cul de sacs where good ideas go to die.

Lust defended the proposed membership, saying by design it had more citizens than has been usual for legislative studies.

Thats who does initiative and referendum measures. I think its very important that it not be comprised of legislators, he said.

South Dakota voters had approved Initiated Measure 22 in the November 2016 election. Among the provisions, IM 22 strictly prohibited conflicts of interest and restricted campaign contributions.

"HB 1141 was a way for me to encourage the legislature to step-back and take a less reactionary approach to IM 22 and the rush to reform the initiative and referendum process. As you know there were many bills designed to 'fix' the initiative and referendum process all on the heels of IM 22. It makes more sense to approach the process more deliberately and with a larger perspective," Lust said Tuesday.

Republican legislative leaders filed a lawsuit in state court seeking to throw out IM 22. On Dec. 8, Circuit Judge Mark Barnett suspended it, entirely, from taking effect.

While waiting to proceed to the South Dakota Supreme Court, Republican legislators repealed IM 22. Lust was one of the 13 House members who voted against the IM 22 repeal, HB 1069.

The session then turned to replacing various parts of IM 22 with lawmakers own versions. Neither sides lawmakers, however, offered a replacement for a public-financing plan for election campaigns that was part of IM 22.

The task force starts work at 9 a.m. CT on June 20. The first-day agenda calls for task force members to:

Discuss the goals for the task force;

Consider the history of South Dakotas processes for voters to directly legislate or amend the state constitution;

Hear testimony from the three offices involved in the processes the Legislative Research Council, the state attorney general and the secretary of state; and

Analyze South Dakota in comparison with other states.

The second-day agenda for June 21, again starting at 9 a.m. CT, opens with approximately two hours of public testimony.

Then comes one hour of discussion among task force members regarding any proposals.

Running the show is Emily Wanless of Sioux Falls, who is a faculty member at Augustana University. House Speaker Mark Mickelson, R-Sioux Falls, chose her in part because she is a Libertarian Party member.

Vice chairman is Rep. Don Haggar, R-Sioux Falls, who is House speaker pro tem.

Lusts initial version called for seven members: the secretary of state; the attorney general; a member of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry; two House members appointed by the speaker; and two senators appointed by the Senate president pro tem, who is Sen. Brock Greenfield, R-Clark.

House Republican leader Lee Qualm of Platte at a House committee hearing amended the bill to call for 15 members. They included:

Two Republicans and one Democrat from the House, chosen by the House speaker;

Two Republicans and one Democrat from the Senate, chosen by the Senate president pro tem;

The secretary of state and the attorney general;

One member appointed by the governor;

Two members from the state Board of Elections;

One member of the faculty from a political science department at university or college in South Dakota, chosen by the House speaker;

One member representing the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry;

One member representing the South Dakota Municipal League; and

One member representing the South Dakota Association of County Commissioners.

That version of Lusts legislation squeaked through House on a 39-29 vote for approval. Democrats and many Republican ultra-conservatives opposed it.

The Senate switched up membership with an amendment from the Senate Democratic leader, Billie Sutton of Burke.

The Sutton amendment gave the governor two appointments: One from a business background and the other from an agricultural setting; with the requirement they be from different political parties.

In turn senators took away the chamber of commerce seat. Senators also:

Required the elections board appointees come from different political parties;

Decided the House speakers faculty appointment should be an independent or from a minor political party; and

Allowed the municipal league and county commissioners to choose their appointees.

The Senate voted 27-8 for its version of HB 1141. The only yea among the six Democrats came from Sutton.

The House agreed with the Senate amendments 46-19, picking up yeas from some who opposed the bill on its first run through the chamber.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed it into law March 10.

The law sets the task force budget at $21,000. It says the task force should report to the Legislature and the governor before the start of the 2018 legislative session.

It also says the task force should operate similar to an interim legislative committee, with authority to offer draft legislation and policy recommendations. That is despite only six members being senators or representatives.

The Legislatures Executive Committee, headed by Mickelson this year, shall supervise the task force, according to the law.

Wanless fulfills the speakers faculty appointment. The three House members are Haggar, Rep. Tim Reed, R-Brookings, and Rep. Karen Soli, D-Sioux Falls.

The senators are Republicans Jim Bolin of Canton and Ernie Otten of Tea, and Democrat Reynold Nesiba of Sioux Falls.

Nesiba spearheaded the successful initiative that restricted the state-airplane use by Mike Rounds, who then was the Republican governor, and now is a U.S. senator.

Duane Sutton, a Republican former legislator from Brown County, is the county commissioner. Yvonne Taylor, who is executive director for the municipal league, represents her membership.

The governors duo are Will Mortenson, a Republican lawyer from the Fort Pierre ranching family, and University of South Dakota president Jim Abbott, a lawyer and a Democratic former legislator. Abbott was the partys nominee for governor in 2002.

The elections board members are Republican Pam Lynde, the Deuel County auditor, and Democratic former legislator Linda Lea Viken, a Rapid City lawyer.

Secretary of State Shantel Krebs and state Attorney General Marty Jackley are non-voting members of the task force.

Krebs is a candidate for the Republican U.S. House nomination. She is running against Republican Dusty Johnson, a former state Public Utilities Commission member and Daugaards first-term chief of staff.

Jackley is a candidate for the Republican governor nomination in what so far is a four-candidate field.

One of the other Republicans is U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, who wants to make history as South Dakotas first woman to serve as governor.

Not everyone supported the task forces creation. House Democratic leader Spencer Hawley of Brookings said it was another step to control initiated measures. So please dont tighten it up any more, Hawley said.

Lusts legislation would take decisions away from legislators and pushes them onto a task force, said Rep. Spencer Gosch, R-Glenham. We no longer get a say. Were just supposed to swallow whatever comes out, he said.

Rep. Tona Rozum, R-Mitchell, defended it. Were throwing a lot of stuff at the wall this year, she said, and quite a bit of it is sticking at this point.

Continued here:

Chaired by a Libertarian from Augie, in wake of Republican repeal of IM 22, a legislative task force is ready to ... - Watertown Public Opinion

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First-time general election candidate Will Taylor is raising the profile of the fledgling Libertarian Party in his home city.

He is one of only four party candidates standing across the country.

Living off Anlaby Road, he's challenging for the Hull West and Hessle seat.

READ MORE: Libertarian Will Taylor aims to break election mould in Hull

While he doesn't expect to win, the campaign has given him the opportunity to get his party's message across to a wider audience.

He said: "The Libertarian Party is all about live and let live as long as you are not doing any harm.

"We don't think the government has any right to interfere with your life.

"We have five basic principles that we want to see introduced.

"We want to see the amount of tax we pay reduced as we currently pay around 37 per cent of our income in tax. To do that we have got to cut out a lot of wasteful government spending.

"In terms of immigration, we are very much pro-Brexit but we don't mind people coming into the country so long as they fit in and are prepared to work.

"We would like to see businesses get on and allowed to be businesses. There is too much bureaucracy and red tape, I see and hear that all the time from local businesses in Hull.

"Finally, I want politicians to be made accountable. They spend far too much time down in London in their ivory towers."

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Hull's Libertarian candidate Will Taylor on what the party is all about - Hull Daily Mail

UK Elections: The libertarian issues no one is mentioning Being Libertarian The quickest of skims over these policies reveals that, as is traditional, libertarians have drawn the short straw. For all the different views being presented this time round (What should happen with Brexit? What's level of immigration should Britain ... and more »

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UK Elections: The libertarian issues no one is mentioning - Being Libertarian

Helen Milenski visits the Los Alamos Daily Post world headquarters Friday to announce that she has been appointed acting chair for the Los Alamos County affiliate organization of the Libertarian Party of New Mexico, which has just qualified as a major political party in the state. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

By MAIRE O'NEILL

Los Alamos Daily Post

Just as the Libertarian Party of New Mexico announced it now meets the requirements to qualify as a major political party in the state, beginning with the 2018 election cycle, Helen Milenski announced that she has been appointed acting chair for the Los Alamos County affiliate organization of the LPNM.

According to State Chair Elizabeth Hanes, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Elections Director Kari Fresquez have confirmed that as long as the Libertarian Party maintains or increases its voter registration numbers, it will be designated as a major party on the date of the Governors primary election proclamation in January 2018.

Today marks a historic day for the Libertarian Party of New Mexico, Hanes said. We look forward to representing the ideals of thousands of New Mexicans who believe in living their lives peacefully and free from government interference.

The Libertarian Party of New Mexico will be able to participate in the primary election process in 2018 instead of having to nominate its candidates in convention and Hanes said the party is already identifying potential candidates for local, state and federal offices.

Milenski says she has always been a Libertarian at heart. Turning 18, she says she registered as a Democrat because of the social issues of the time. The country was coming out of the Reagan era and the Democratic Party had an altruistic feeling that she liked. She says liberalism called to her but not in the way Libertarianism speaks to her.

Milenski worked hard on Gary Johnsons campaign for president last year, coordinating a sign-waving campaign at the junction of Trinity and Diamond drive for several weeks. She feels she has a common- sense approach to politics and has been encouraged to get more involved. She just recently got involved at the state level.

Today there are 134 registered Libertarians in Los Alamos County which is up 14 from the time of the Gary Johnson campaign. Milenski said there are currently 6,000 affliate members statewide and that the party grew by at least 50 percent in 2016 largely due to Johnsons presidential campaign. She said Los Alamos County has the highest percentage of registration in the nation.

A public meeting has been slated for 6-8 p.m. June 21 at Mesa Public Library.

This will be a preliminary planning and interest meeting, Milenski said. We want to gauge peoples interest in the Libertarian Party and answer any questions people may have. We also want to elect a chairperson in a more permanent manner.

Milenski, 43, is a graduate of Los Alamos High School and UNM-LA. She has an Associates Degree in Engineering and is employed by Los Alamos Nation Laboratory, working in Chemistry Chemical Diagnostics and Engineering. She has one grown daughter and another daughter in high school. She and her husband Scott live in Los Alamos.

According to its news release, the Libertarian Party stands for individual freedom and responsibility. In New Mexico, the party advocates defending and expanding civil rights; eliminating government regulations that stifle economic growth; and lowering or eliminating taxes of all kinds. LPNM also is opposed to any restrictive immigration reform measures and supports the free movement of law-abiding citizens throughout the region.

For more information about the Libertarian Party of New Mexico, visit http://www.lpnm.us. For information about the Los Alamos group specifically, email helen.milenski@gmail.com.

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Helen Milenski Appointed Acting Chair Of Los Alamos County Affiliate Of Libertarian Party Of New Mexico - Los Alamos Daily Post

Being Libertarian

What are we Thinking - Terror and Climate Change - Being Libertarian Being Libertarian After the terror attacks in Manchester (a little over a week ago) I started writing on the issue of Islam, terrorism, and the idea that, in Europe especially, these ... and more »

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What are we Thinking - Terror and Climate Change - Being Libertarian - Being Libertarian

Being Libertarian

Castro Regime Arrests Cuban Libertarian Party Members Being Libertarian Cuba's newly-formed Libertarian Party has already experienced the brute force and tyranny of the Castro regime, simply for having liberty-minded ideas. All of the present activists at Cuba's Libertarian Party HQ were arrested late Wednesday evening for ...

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Castro Regime Arrests Cuban Libertarian Party Members - Being Libertarian

They came in a U-Haul.

Colorado, the birthplace of the national Libertarian Party, is now something else: host of the partys trove of physical archives since its founding in 1971 in Colorado Springs.

Or was the party founded in Westminster?

Thats a friendly dispute among some Libertarians who debate whether the official formation of the small government individual freedom party, which took place in the Springs, supersedes where its ideas were hashed out around party founder David Nolans Westminster dining room table.

Regardless, Colorado, a state with about 1 percent of its registered voting population claiming membership in the party, has always had an outsized role in Libertarian history. Now, just this spring, the partys physical history relocated from a storage facility in Alexandria, Virginia, to Parker, Colorado.

Leading the effort to bring those records to the partys birthplace was Caryn Ann Harlos of Castle Rock, the state partys pink-haired spokeswoman who serves as the national partys representative for nine western states. On a December trip to the East Coast on party business, she asked to see archives many thought were destroyed in a flood when they were housed in the basement of the famous Watergate building. Instead, Harlos found a room of records largely intact. Boxes of newsletters, convention material, even contents from the desks of former party officials.

I got a burr under my saddle and was like This stuff needs to be preserved, she said over the phone recently.

The national party set up a committee and formulated a $10,000 budget to make it happen. Party people packed the archives in a U-Haul and a staffer drove it west.

For the past several weeks, Harlos, a paralegal with two decades of document management experience, has, in her own words, been becoming one with the records.

There are tape recordings of old conventions, there are video tapes of old TV spots, there are bumper stickers, there are buttons, theres a lot of handbills and fliers and stuff from older presidential campaigns, she says about whats inside. She found handwritten 1974 convention minutes on the back of an old press release.

Her goal is to organize and digitize the documents, and then upload them to the online crowdsourced Libertarian history site Lpedia.

She stresses it is not a public Libertarian Party museum or anything, but anyone who wants to take a look can make an appointment with her.

There are people very passionate about the history, she says. I have people planning weeklong vacations to come and work on these records in Colorado.

Call it Libertarian tourism in Colorado.

Says Harlos: Being the birthplace is really [a]big thing and weve always taken great pride in that.

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The Libertarian Party's national archives now live in Colorado - The Colorado Independent

Hannah Grover , hgrover@daily-times.com Published 4:30 p.m. MT May 26, 2017 | Updated 10:00 a.m. MT May 29, 2017

San Juan County(Photo: The Daily Times stock image)

FARMINGTON For the first time in nearly a decade, the Libertarian Party of New Mexico has a San Juan County chapter.

The chapter was organized earlier this month andwill meet weekly. Meeting information will be posted on its Facebook page.

"We're trying to create some growth," chapter chairwoman Ranota Banks said. "We experienced quite a bit during the Johnson-Weld campaign."

The Libertarian Party has traditionally been the largest of the third parties in the state. Elizabeth Hanes, the chairwoman of the Libertarian Party of New Mexico, said the western ethos of working hard and minding your own business contributes to the success of the Libertarian Party in New Mexico.

"That's very much what Libertarianism is about," she said.

Hanes said the Libertarian Party hopes to run about half a dozen candidates in state and federal races in 2018. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson's campaign in 2016 led to an increase in registered Libertarian voters.

Johnson received about 9 percent of the votes in New Mexico, or more than 74,000 votes. The number of registered voters and the percentage who voted for Johnson qualified the party to hold primary elections during 2018.There are approximately 6,000 Libertarians registered to vote statewide. Hanes said there are about 400 registered Libertarians in San Juan County.

"This past general election, we had a lot of people switch their affiliation to the Libertarian Party," Banks said.

Hanes said some Republicans identify with the Libertarian stance regarding smaller government. She said the party also aligns with Democratic views on social issues and civil rights, such as same-sex marriage.

Drew Degner, chairman of San Juan County's Republican Party, said there may be some voters who switch affiliation because of the similar stance on smaller government. He said he has seen frustration on both sides nationwide.

Degner said he wishes the Libertarians luck in their endeavor.

"If it is able to gain traction, it might be a good thing for everybody," Degner said.

While the Libertarian Party supports social issues and civil rights, it does not believe in government-funded charities, such as Planned Parenthood.

"We believe that personal giving is preferable to government giving," Hanes said.

She said the Libertarian Party believes in slashing taxes, which would give people more money to donate to charitable organizations.

While San Juan County Democratic Party chairwoman MP Schildmeyer said she wishes the Libertarian Party well, she said she does not agree with the party's stance regarding cutting back Social Security.

"To me, the Libertarian Party is a dangerous party," she said.

Banks said while the party does not believe in forced charity, it does believe in "people taking care of people."

Banks said twice a month the San Juan County chapter will have picnics or trash cleanups.

Hannah Grover covers government for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652.

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Libertarian Party forms San Juan County chapter - Farmington Daily Times

How Has Liberalism Impacted Libertarianism? Being Libertarian Throughout modern politics, liberalism and conservatism have dominated and overshadowed other philosophies. However, the dynamic of libertarianism and liberalism is rarely discussed. Despite common misconceptions, these two ideologies are not similar ...

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How Has Liberalism Impacted Libertarianism? - Being Libertarian

United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien declared that the world is facing its greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945.

With more than 20 million people facing starvation and famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen, OBrien is pleading for help in order to avoid catastrophe.

Without a global humanitarian effort,it is likely that people will simply starve to death, and that many more will suffer and die from disease.

In his statement to the UN Security Council on Friday, OBrien called for a collective global effort to provide aid to the people involved. Below is an excerpt of that statement:

We stand at a critical point in history. Already at the beginning of the year we are facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations. Now, more than 20 million people across four countries face starvation and famine. Without collective and coordinated global efforts, people will simply starve to death. Many more will suffer and die from disease. Children stunted and out of school. Livelihoods, futures and hope will be lost. Communities resilience rapidly wilting away. Development gains reversed. Many will be displaced and will continue to move in search for survival, creating ever more instability across entire regions.

Each country listed above suffers from very different circumstances.

In Yemen, according to BBC, a majority of 14.1 million people are facing famine while the country is simultaneously embroiled in a vicious civil war.

Nigeria has been fighting against the terrorist militant organization Boko Haram, which has killed 15,000, and displaced more than 2 million Nigerians from their homes. The extent of Nigerias famine wasnt known until recently, as studies of its internal problems are difficult to undertake due to the military conflict with Boko Haram.

In South Sudan, the UN believes that 40% of the population 4.9 million people require food and nutritional assistance, with 100,000 of directly facing starvation.

Weather patterns attributed toEl Nio in Somalia have killed off livestock and crops, leaving 6.2 million people in urgent need of assistance. Six years ago the most recent Somalian famine the death toll was almost 260,000 people.

Photo Credit: UNICEF

This post was written by Nicholas Amato.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Nicholas Amato is the News Editor at Being Libertarian. Hes an undergraduate student at San Jose State University, majoring in political science and minoring in journalism.

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UN Declares World's Greatest Humanitarian Crisis Since 1945 - Being Libertarian

Definition of libertarian: 1) an advocate of the doctrine of free will. 2) A person who upholds the principles of individual liberty, especially of thought and action.

Ladies and gentleman there you have it, straight from Merriam-Webster. It is with a sad heart that I write this article, but I feel I must. Many of us liberty minded people need to be reminded of what and we stand for.

Libertarianism is non-aggressive. We dont steal, we dont bomb, and we dont forcefully impose our will on others. We are the only political group that can honestly say we support real liberty. I use the word group instead of party, because you dont need to support a party to support a principle. We can support a member of any party, or an independent. It is principle that matters. That same core principle, called non-aggression, is at the heart of every stance we take. While we make jokes about the N.A.P. and endlessly debate about how it applies to certain issues, on most issues it is quite clear.

So why is it, that some libertarians are so supportive of Trump? Sure, the TPP exit was a solid win for liberty, and the repeal of the ACA sounds great. Hell, Trump even supports an audit of the Federal Reserve. There is more too, like his Department of Education appointee. In fact, if you cherry pick certain issues he doesnt sound half bad. However, with that logic I can make any president or politician a libertarian. Small government is only a part of what libertarianism is about.

Some libertarian social media campaigns have even started using slogans like Are you tired of winning yet? when they post about these supposed victories that have come out of Trumps administration. But lets make something clear, we have not won anything at all.

By saying we have, you are further discrediting the libertarian movement and reinforcing the myth that we are pothead republicans. To be brutally honest, many of us are acting like that is true.

Authoritarian government, by nature, violates the core principle of libertarianism. Donald Trump is authoritarian, and there is no argument against that which holds any merit. That does not mean we cant give him some credit where it is due. Reducing regulations and government power is good. A handful of good things however is not winning.

By saying Trump is the most libertarian president ever, you are doing serious damage to the message that we are finally starting to get out.

Lets not lose sight of the core principles we stand for, or throw them away altogether. Dont sit back and talk about how you are happy with Trump. Not when he supports civil asset forfeiture, or appoints someone like Jeff Sessions. Dont talk up the same guy who already is dropping bombs, or the guy who appointed Mike Pompeo to head the CIA.

The conservative Trump wants to spend 20 billion dollars on a wall, rather than fix the issues that caused illegal immigration to be the problem it is. Isnt more government to fix government problems one of the things that Libertarians are against? How does this not qualify?

We should have the same outrage now that we had with Obama. You can make the argument that it is not as bad, but it really is no different. Authoritarian government is still authoritarian government. We are liberty minded, or at least we claim to be. Libertarianism and authoritarianism are polar opposites of each other.

It is almost scary how fast things went downhill. How can we lose sight of things so fast?

We complain about the inability for government to maintain roads, but expect them to maintain a wall? The Federal government cant even maintain the current fence that spans only a fraction of the border. Is eminent domain going to suddenly going to be acceptable when the construction of the wall begins, or will we still care about property rights?

How did we go from calling Edward Snowden a hero, to supporting someone who put an advocate of spying programs in charge of the CIA? How did we go from pointing out every flaw in the left, to ignoring flaws in the right? We are starting to ignore facts and issues that are hurting our cause, showing blind support to an authoritarian, and that makes us just as bad as the authoritarian regime.

To not stand up to injustice, is just as bad as causing injustice.

Maybe our memory is also a problem. We seem to have forgotten the support Trump has given to the progressive left, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars. In fact, from 1989-2010 he donated over $150,000 more to Democrats than he did to Republicans. Curiously that changed before he announced a potential run for the white house in 2011. Suddenly his donations went mainly to Republicans. Those Democrat donations included Hillary Clinton, who he swore would be in jail if he won, yet last I checked she is roaming free.

His other actions since the election have already proven to be contradictory to his campaign promises as well. I am still waiting for a big Ed McMahon style check for the price of the wall to be sent from Mexico. Instead, we will pay for it with a price increase in Mexicos products. Its okay though, because somehow we all decided that taxation isnt theft anymore and that taxes on companies arent passed onto the consumer, foreign or not. The laws of economics have been suspended so that the almighty Trump can be praised by libertarians for implementing a tax.

Perhaps it is time to reevaluate what being a libertarian actually means. Is it small authoritarian government or is it non-aggression and personal liberty. Are we suddenly a mix of left and right ideas, or are we really something different?

With all of the infighting and drama stirred up in Libertarian groups, we certainly are not acting like the logical and rational people we claim to be.

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Donald Trump Is No Libertarian - Being Libertarian - Being Libertarian

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I have had to undergo a great deal of rethinking on all of this this year [now] I want to shut down low-skill immigration for a while, Charles Murray told a D.C. event hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies.

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The thing that has gotten to me over this year has been the very simple idea that the citizens of a nation owe something to each other that is over and above our general obligation to other human beings outside the United States, Murray said Sept. 26.

A temporary end to low-skill immigration will allow a national test of various proposals to help the many Americans at the bottom end of the economic scale, Murray said. For example, amid high immigration, several million Americans prime age employable men are not even trying to work, at great long-term cost to themselves and society.

Once low-skilled immigration is ended, society may react in favorable directions to help lower-end Americans workers, he said. For example, the girlfriends of young men will be better able to prod their boyfriends into taking low-skill, low-paid jobs if their employers cant hire illegals, Murray said.

But Murray says he only wants a temporary moratorium on low-skill immigration in case the new policy proves counterproductive. I want to shut if down for a while because it may not work [currently] we will have no good way of knowing how employers will respond until the spigot is cut off, he said.

Murray is one of the most influential libertarian and conservative intellectuals in Washington D.C. His work helped create momentum for welfare reform in the 1990s, and hes now focusing attention on the widening gap between poor and wealthy Americans His 2012 book, Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, has publicized the declining situation of low-skilled white workers.

American has been exceptional because Americans dont want to see their society divided by social and economic classes, Murray said Monday. The term American Exceptionalism came from Europeans visiting in 1800s [who saw that Americans] all wanting to see themselves as part of the same class, he said.

We need to reconstruct an American society in which people are part of one brotherhood, sisterhood, he said. In the recent past, the U.S. did have a sense of egalitarian equality, he said. It was never perfect, but but God, we did get a lot closer than any other society, he said, adding I want in to live in [that] America.

Murrays call for a halt to low-skill immigration comes as a prestigious think-tank in D.C. admitted that each low-skill migrant costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Immigrants alsoshift roughly $500 billion wages from white-collar and blue-collar Americans to employers and investors, according to the Sept. 22 report issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Each year, four million Americans turn 18 and begin looking for jobs. But the federal government also imports roughly 2 million foreign workers, including legal and illegal immigrants, refugees, temporary guest-workers and asylum seekers. More than 50 percent of the annual inflow of workers are lower-skilled.

Restrictions on low-skill immigration is an idea whose time has come, and will be recognized by ambitious Democratic and Republican politicians, he said. There is a sea-change in the [nations] mood, he said.

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Libertarian Author Charles Murray Calls for Pause in Low ...

STAUNTON Libertarian Will Hammer will take another crack at the House of Delegates 20 District seat this fall. The lifelong Staunton resident announced his candidacy on Friday evening, taking aim at the controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline, and advocating for marijuana legalization.

The incumbent, Del. Richard Dickie Bell, R-Staunton, has held the seat since 2010. He easily won election in 2009, and has cruised in his three successive bids, winning at least 70 percent of the vote each time.

Hammer will try to break Bells grip on the seat in the November election this year, but he will likely have an uphill climb to do it. He polled 24 percent of the vote in 2015, a respectable showing for a third-party candidate, though he was also the only challenger on the ballot that year. The Democratic Party did not put up a candidate against Bell in 2015.

Hammer hopes to capitalize on voters frustration with incumbents from both parties, something that helped propel outsider Donald Trump to the presidency last year. While the rhetoric from the 2016 campaign has cooled somewhat, still-simmering skepticism from the electorate could open the door for a third-party candidate or independent in local and state races this fall, analysts say.

I believe that my strong showing in 2015 and the growing distrust and distaste for the two major parties, specifically incumbents, represents a great opportunity to go to Richmond as a third-party candidate, Hammer said in a press release.

He also hopes the controversy of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will buoy his chances this year. Property rights a key issue for the Libertarian Party has been one of the defining issues in protests against the pipeline.

I will fight against the Dominion pipeline because property rights are sacred, Hammer said, referring to the company heading up the effort to build the conduit.

In addition, he vows to end gerrymandering and corruption, and to bring transparency to Richmond, if elected. Gun rights and marijuana legalization are also planks on his platform. While the former will no doubt play well in the conservative district, particularly in its more rural precincts, the latter may turn some hard-line law-and-order voters, especially senior citizens, off from his candidacy.

But Hammer sees legalizing marijuana as an economic issue, more than anything else.

[It] will reduce government expenditure and create a booming new industry, which means thousands of jobs, he said in the release.

A 2009 graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, Hammer describes himself as an entrepreneur and libertarian activist.

He was awarded the Patrick Henry Award by the Libertarian Party in 2016 for the campaign he waged a year earlier against Bell, in which Hammer raised the profile of libertarian issues.

If you are tired of business as usual and the duopoly of the Republicans and Democrats, Hammer said, join me and lets seriously drain the swamp known as Richmond.

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Anti-pipeline, pro-marijuana Libertarian announces bid for House seat - The Daily Progress

The first of what may eventually be multiple Libertarian candidates for governor has stepped up.

Jason Carrier, whose candidacy was first noted by the Virginia Public Access Project,is collecting signatures to get on the ballot.

Libertarian Party of Virginia Chair Bo Brown confirmed his candidacy, saying the party is talking to several potential candidates and that Carrier is the first to decide he'll run.

"He's a great guy," Brown said. "He's got a military background."

Carrier's Facebook page indicates he's sent petition packets to volunteersexpected to help him get the 10,000 signatures he'll need to be on the ballot.

Brown said theparty expects to hold a convention later this year to nominate its slate of candidates, but a date has not been set. The party will start helping candidates gather signatures before then, though, he said, to get a jump on the process.

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Libertarian gets into Virginia governor's race - Daily Press (blog)

WAYNESBORO Libertarian Will Hammer will take another crack at the House of Delegates 20th District seat this fall.

The incumbent, Del. Richard Dickie Bell, R-Staunton, has held the seat since 2010. He easily won election in 2009 and has cruised in his three successive bids, winning at least 70 percent of the vote each time.

Hammer will try to break Bells grip on the seat in the November election this year, but the Staunton resident likely will have an uphill climb once again. He got 24 percent of the vote in 2015 as a third-party candidate, and there was no Democratic challenger.

I believe that my strong showing in 2015 and the growing distrust and distaste for the two major parties, specifically incumbents, represents a great opportunity to go to Richmond as a third-party candidate, Hammer said in a news release Friday night.

He also hopes that the controversy over the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will buoy his chances this year. Property rights a key issue for the Libertarian Party has been one of the defining issues in protests against the pipeline.

In addition, he vows to end gerrymandering and corruption, and to bring transparency to Richmond, if elected. Gun rights and marijuana legalization also are planks on his platform.

A 2009 graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, Hammer describes himself as an entrepreneur and Libertarian activist.

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Libertarian announces bid for 20th District House seat - The Daily Progress

According to VPAP, it looks like theres going to be a Libertarian candidate (named Jason Carrier) for governor of Virginia, assuming of course that hes able to make the ballot (not an easy matter in Virginia). Heres some of what he has to say on his Facebook page. To put it mildly, hes not a fan of liberals, progressives, Democratsall of whom he seems to think are socialists, which he also believes are identical to National Socialists, whichyeah, dont ask.

If we are tired of how the government taxes us, spies on us, restricts our liberty, it is up to regular Americans (Farmer, Truck Drivers, Veterans, IT nerds) to run for office.

So for those of you who dont know, I am running for Governor of Virginia as the Libertarian candidate. The party asked and I said yes. I have never been a politician and I am going to need all the help I can get. This means volunteers and fund raising, etc. The first step is getting 10,000 names ballot petition. If you are interested in helping please let me know. I will be setting up website, and other items I hope this week. If you are interested in helping please PM me. If you have any questions about the LP party where we stand on issues ask them here, I will do my best to answer them.

As a Libertarian I support withholding all federal funds from all states they should stand on there own as much as possible and reject all federal mandates not in the constitution

I keep hearing people refer to Trump as Orange Hitler. I dont understand this label. Hitler was a socialist Trump is into Cronyism. Hitler build camps to keep people in Germany, Trump says he wants to throw people out. Although deportations are down. Hitler passed Universal Health Care, Trump says ObamaCare will be repelled, although he has not done it yet. Hitler passed 100% Gun registration and bans for people that were unstable, Trump says he supports the second amendment. Hitler believed in free education, Trumps says pay your own way. Hitler wanted to tax the rich to pay for social programs, Trumps say 15% flat tax. Hell based on the analysis of the Nazis party platform, Hitler would be head of the Democratic National Community. Just saying these are fact. Call Trump and asshole if you want, but Hitler is a bit of a stretch

I was talking today about the Federal land grabs out west, specifically Utah and Nevada. It is like the government is trying to round it citizen up put them into reservations where they have to buy water, food, shelter, and medical from them. It just seems wrong to me.

This meme is funny but historically inaccurate Nazis were socialists people rioting and burning books are socialists same shit different time

I going to post this and I am sure it is going to piss off my fellow Libertarians. I saw Trump signed an executive order that for every new regulation passed two had to be taken away. This is pretty awesome. So could he be the Libertarian president we were hoping for? Internet trolling done now to work

So ODU just released a study that shows Clinton got at least 800,000 votes from non citizen can we now get voter ID laws. I dont want Republicans to cheat either. Libertarians please feel free to cheat as much as we need to

Love me some Ron Paul

I am not a Trump supporter, but if you are attacking black performers for reaching across the aisle and calling them every racist slur in the book, you are an asshole. I heard what people called Steve Harvey, it is not acceptable.

If they lived in reality they would not advocate Socalism. It has failed for 100 years, and killed 200 million people, but lets give it one more try, with the most technically advanced military in the world, what could go wrong

Nazis were national Socalist party of Germany, same as USSR. I dont know why we dont teach this

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Meet Your (Possible) 2017 Virginia Libertarian Candidate for Governor - Blue Virginia (press release) (blog)