TEXAS

Supporters of Texas billionaire Ross Perot have turned in signatures to put him on the state ballot as an independent. They, however, are abandoning efforts to get his Reform Party officially recognized in the state because of the stricter rules governing such an effort. Russ Verney, national coordinator for the Reform Party, played down the significance of the development. He said that getting a candidate on the presidential ballot was the goal in 1996. Reform Party leaders delivered 160,000 signatures to the state to get Perot on Texas ballots as an independent candidate. The law requires 61,450 valid signatures to qualify for ballot access, and the secretary of state expects a judgment within a couple of weeks. To get the Reform Party qualified as a third party within the state, 43,962 additional signatures would have to be filed with the state by May 28. Perot ran for president as an independent in 1992 and won 19% of the popular vote nationwide. Perot has said he will let the Reform Party decide on a candidate at its Labor Day convention.