Kansas Representative Paul Waggoner (R-Hutchinson) has introduced HB 2516, which would increase the number of signatures needed for a statewide independent from 5,000 signatures to 25,000. If passed, it would take effect this year.
It is believed he introduced the bill because he and some other Republican legislators were upset that a conservative independent qualified in 2022 to run for Governor. The independent, Dennis Pyle, got 20,452 votes. Laura Kelly, the Democratic incumbent, was re-elected by a margin of 31,558 votes.
The bill has a hearing in the House Elections Committee on Thursday, January 25, at 3:30 p.m. Waggoner is vice-chair of that committee.
First of all, I would hope that petitioning in Kansas has not started yet, or else the rules would be changed in the middle of the petitioning period. They could always amend the bill to avoid that.
Would Kansans support this bill? In other words, does it look good or not for their Representative to support it? Republicans think they’d benefit from it, but there’s a chance it could backfire on them (blocking a strong liberal independent). Independents don’t benefit from it, they can only lose. Democrats think they’d be harmed by it, but there’s a chance it could help them (again, blocking a strong liberal indpendent). So, among the people, I don’t see a majority who benefit, I see a majority who are harmed.
Then there’s the question: Do the ends justify the means? How many would say yes to that? Even if your party might benefit from this bill, you might still oppose it because it feels wrong.
All in all, most Kansans won’t like this bill. Maybe a majority of Mr. Waggoner’s constituents do, but how does he think he’s going to get other Reps to vote for this?