Rhode Island State Senator Lou Raptakis (D-Coventry) is preparing a bill to outlaw closed primaries. Currently independent voters in Rhode Island can vote in any party’s primary, and independents in Rhode Island vastly outnumber registered Republicans. The Republican Party leadership is considering excluding independent voters from its primaries. See this story. Raptakis is running for Secretary of State.
This bill is very likely unconstitutional.
See Arizona Libertarian Party v. Brewer (2007).