West Virginia Bill Enacted that Clarifies How Legislators Can Be Appointed

On March 14, West Virginia HB 3005 went into effect when Governor Jim Justice let it become law, although he wouldn’t sign it. West Virginia law lets governors appoint new legislators when a seat becomes vacant. However, the Governor must appoint someone from the same party. The bill clarifies that the party of the previous office-holder is the party at the time the former member resigned or died, not the party when the previous office-holder had last been elected. This is only important in the rare instances when an office-holder switches parties and then resigns. See this story.

U.S. District Court Sets Hearing in Case Over Whether Michigan Must Hold a Special U.S. House Election Earlier than November

The case over whether Michigan must hold a special U.S. House election earlier than November, to fill the vacancy in the 13th U.S. House district, will have a hearing on March 15, Thursday, at 9:30 a.m. Rhodes v Snyder, 2:17cv-14186. This is the vacancy created when Congressman John Conyers resigned from congress last year.