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.

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.

Thirty-three South Dakota legislators have introduced HB 1291, which would provide that parties with state legislators should no longer have primaries for U.S. Senate. Instead, the state legislators would nominate their party’s U.S. Senate nominee. The bill says parties that don’t have state legislators could nominate for that office by party committee. Independent candidates would still be allowed to petition onto the general election ballot.

On February 12, the House Judiciary Committee defeated this bill 2-10. Thanks to Lori Stacey for this news.