On the evening of April 25, the Tennessee House unanimously passed HB 794, which makes very small improvements to ballot access. No amendments were proposed or considered. It is clear that it is the Senate, not the House, that will take a serious look at the bill. The identical bill in the Senate, SB 935, has seven amendments pending, which will be debated on April 28.

Tennessee must revise its ballot access laws for new and minor parties because the existing law was invalidated last year. It is obvious to anyone who reads last year’s decision that the bills in their present form still do not pass constitutional muster. Last year’s decision said explicitly that a petition deadline four months before the primary is too early, but this bill sets a deadline four months before the primary. The Senate amendments do not improve the deadline but they do propose a substantially lower number of signatures. One of the amendments proposes 10,000; another amendment proposes 6,000. The existing unamended bills require over 40,000 signatures, the same number as in the existing law.

Also on the evening of April 25, the legislature passed HB 612, which moves the presidential primary from February to March. Thanks to Frontloading HQ for that news.