On February 13, the New York legislature passed AB 8917. It moves the 2018 primary for state and local office from September 11 to September 13. Ever since 2001, New York state has always moved the primary away from September 11 whenever the calendar normally would have set the primary on that date.
Before the New Mexico legislature adjourned for the year, it passed SB 178. Governor Susana Martinez has until March 7 to act on the bill. It eliminates party primaries for Lieutenant Governor. Instead, after the June primaries, gubernatorial nominees would choose someone to run with them in November for Lieutenant Governor. The vote in the House was very close, 34-32.
On February 22, Pennsylvania Republican legislative leaders filed a new lawsuit in U.S. District Court to restore the old U.S. House district boundaries. Corman v Torres, m.d., 1:18cv-443. The lead Defendant is the acting Secretary of State of Pennsylvania, so this is a suit by legislators against their own state elections office. On the same day, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and the other plaintiffs who had won their case in the State Supreme Court for new districts asked to intervene in the new federal case. Here is the Complaint in the new Republican lawsuit.
The case is assigned to Judge Christopher C. Conner, a Bush Jr. appointee. In 2011, Judge Conner had struck down part of Obamacare, a decision that the U.S. Supreme Court reversed. UPDATE: because this topic requires a 3-judge U.S. District Court, Judge Conner has now chosen two more judges other than himself. They are Jerome Simandle, a Bush Sr. appointee, and Kent A. Jordan, another Bush Jr. appointee. Thanks to Rick Hasen for that update.
According to this story, the Utah Republican Party on February 24 will discuss whether to create a definition of who is a Republican, that is separate from whether a voter is registered “Republican” on his or her voter registration card.
The Nebraska Secretary of State will soon issue a ruling on whether persons who register out of a qualified party after November 2017 are permitted to run as independent candidates. See this story.
