On February 21, Arkansas SB 276 was on the Agenda for the State Senate State Agencies & Government Affairs Committee, but the sponsor, Senator Trent Garner, chose not to present the bill.  This is the third time the bill has been on that committee’s agenda but Senator Garner didn’t present it.  According to legislative staff, he didn’t bring it up because he is still writing an amendment and the amendment isn’t ready yet.

The bill moves the primary for all office from May to March.  It indirectly affects ballot access for newly-qualifying parties.  The deadline is in January, which in 1996 was held to be unconstitutionally early.  SB 276, in its current shape, moves that deadline to November of the odd year before the election, making the new party petition deadline even worse.

Senator Garner is aware that a lawsuit will soon be filed against his other bill, SB 163, which has already been signed into law and which almost triples the number of signatures for a new party.  It may be that the amendment he is still working on to SB 276 will ease the petition deadline.