1. A very restrictive ballot access bill, HB 2614, passed the Oregon House of Representatives Elections & Rules Committee on May 5. It makes it illegal for a registered member of a qualified party to sign a petition for an independent candidate. A similar law was held unconstitutional in federal court in 1999 in Arizona (that lawsuit was Campbell v Hull, 73 F Supp 2d 1081). Ballot Access News editor Richard Winger has just e-mailed every member of the Oregon House, asking for a “no” vote. Unfortunately, the League of Women Voters has endorsed the bill.

2. The U.S. Supreme Court will probably decide on May 19 whether to hear Ralph Nader’s lawsuit against the Oregon Secretary of State. Kucera v Bradbury, 04-872. May 19 is a Thursday; the court won’t tell what it did until Monday, May 23. The issue in that case is whether it is constitutional for the state to issue new rules on petition validity after the petitions have been turned in.