The South Carolina House of Representatives, for the remainder of this calendar year, will only sit between May 12 and June 4. The House will not sit during the first half of May, so as to save the taxpayers money.
As a result, hostile election law bills pending in the South Carolina legislature are less likely to pass. In particular, the curtailed session increases the odds that H 3746 will not pass. That is the bill to make it more difficult for independent candidates to get on the ballot. The bill makes it illegal for primary voters to sign an independent petition; it restricts signers to signing for only one independent candidate; it says newly-registered voters can’t sign for an independent; and it forces independent candidates to file a declaration of candidacy early in the year.
Another bill less likely to pass (even though it has already passed the House) is H 3067, to ban fusion.
Heads up! NPR reports that Justice Souter is probably gong to retire after a replacement is found. In comparison, what did he say about ballot access and other issues?
I am holding my breath and keeping my fingers crossed that our do-nothing SC General Assembly will adjourn without passing either of these awful
bills.