On March 28, the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on HB 5466. It would ease the definition of “Political Party”. Currently, a party is a group that either submitted a petition to qualify itself, or a group that polled 5% for President or Governor at either of the last two elections. The bill would expand the list of offices for which the vote test counts, to all the state statewide offices (Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General).

If the bill were to pass and were to be applied retrospectively, the Cool Moose Party would become a fully qualified party, since it polled over 5% for Lieutenant Governor in 2006.