On May 8, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, signed SB 270. It moves the petition deadline for independent candidates (for office other than president) from June to March. This will force independent candidates to collect signatures in the winter, or in the year before the election. He signed the bill despite the fact that in 1990, a lower Montana state court held the identical deadline unconstitutional. The State Supreme Court had then vacated that decision, finding that the plaintiff did not have standing, but not expressing any opinion about the merits.
Governor Schweitzer still hasn’t signed or vetoed SB 96, which makes it illegal for out-of-state circulators to work in the state, and which makes it illegal to pay circulators per signature. He must make up his mind by Friday, May 18.
The govenor as well as every legislator who voted for this bill ought be forced to petition outside next winter. Make them stand outside all day for a few weeks in the freezing cold asking for signatures so they can see what it’s like.
“Governor Schweitzer still hasn’t signed or vetoed SB 96, which makes it illegal for out-of-state circulators to work in the state, and which makes it illegal to pay circulators per signature. He must make up his mind by Friday, May 18.”
If the govenor signs this bill it is going to be really bad for the voters of Montana because it is going to make it a heck of a lot harder to put stuff on the ballot there which is going to mean less power for the people and more power for the politicians.