On February 28, Arkansas State Senator Trent Garner abandoned his old bill to move the primary, and presented his new bill on the same subject, SB 445. It moves the primary for all office in presidential years from May to the first week in March. It leaves the primary in midterm years in May.

Significantly, SB 445 does not alter the petition deadline formula for newly-qualifing parties. That means that the petition deadline continues to be 60 days before the candidate deadline for filing in primaries. Because the bill moves the primary, that automatically moves the petition deadline, from January of the election year, to November of the year before the election.

Newly-qualifying parties do not nominate by primary, so it is completely irrational to link the date of the primary to that petition deadline.

The Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs passed SB 445 unanimously. Thanks to FrontloadingHQ for this news.