On February 19, the Arizona House Appropriations Committee passed HCR 2036 by 7-6. It amends the state constitution to delete age requirements to run and hold state office. Currently members of the legislature and Governors must be at least age 25, and state judges must be age 30. The sponsor promised to amend his bill to insert age 21 as the limit, but the bill as passed sets an age 18 limit. The sponsor is Representative Anthony Kern (R-Glendale).

If this bill passes, then the voters would vote on the idea in November 2018.

On February 19, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin allowed HB 157 to become law, although he wouldn’t sign it. It increases the amount of money an individual may donate to a minor or unqualified party, so that now the limits are as high as the amount that may be donated to a major party. This is the first bill helping minor parties that was introduced in 2018 that has passed.

On February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Johnson v Commission on Presidential Debates, 17-916. The other presidential debates case, Level the Playing Field v Federal Elections Commission, is still pending in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. A decision on that case could come at any time.