May 9 was the deadline for Texas bills to have passed their house of origin. Many election law bills of interest failed to meet this deadline. That includes all the bills that would have revised the straight-ticket device; the bill to require birth certificates for candidates; the bills to establish a top-two primary; the bill to choose presidential electors according to the proportion of the popular vote within the state; and the bill to elect state judges in nonpartisan elections.

HB 3103 did pass the House by the deadline. Among other things, it requires the Secretary of State to study the effect of changing the March presidential primary date, and to report to the 2015 session of the legislature.

HB 3101 also passed the House. It moves the deadline for a write-in candidate to file a declaration of candidacy to the same deadline for candidates who appear on the ballot. Of course, this change ignores one of the chief purposes of having write-in space on the ballot, which is to give voters an option if the candidates who qualify for the ballot turn out to disappoint the electorate. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.