On June 27, a group of four Michigan Republican State Senators, including the Majority Leader of the Senate, introduced SB624. It provides for a January 29 presidential primary in 2008. It also says that if the parties that are qualified to hold a presidential primary jointly desire a different date, their wishes shall prevail. It also says that if all the parties that are entitled to a presidential primary agree to cancel the primary, it will be cancelled.

The same four Senators also introduced SB 625, which is virtually identical, except it sets the 2008 primary on February 5. Both bills also amend the existing law so that it becomes more difficult for a party to qualify for its own presidential primary. Existing law says that any party that got 5% for president in the last election (in the entire USA) is entitled to a presidential primary. The bill changes that to 25% for president in the last election, within Michigan.

Both bills provide that voters who wish to vote in a presidential primary must choose one party’s ballot, and the names and addresses of voters who choose any particular party’s ballot are provided to that political party. Currently, Michigan has an open primary in which voters decide which primary to vote in, in the secrecy of the voting booth. Thanks to Tom Jones for this news.