As reported previously, this year the Republican majority in the Arizona legislative sharply increased the difficulty for minor party members to get on their own party’s primary ballots, and also made it virtually impossible for smaller qualified parties to nominate candidates by write-in in their own primaries. This newspaper story quotes Arizona Republican State Senator Michele Reagan’s defense of the higher petition requirements. She says the change is not unfair because minor party members are free to get independent voters to sign their primary petitions.

The newspaper story also discusses the progress of the referendum petition; opponents of the new law hope to repeal it by referendum. One union has already contributed $50,000 toward the costs of getting the signatures.