Maine Representative Stacey Guerin (R-Glenburn) has introduced LD 53, to make it illegal to pay initiative circulators on a per-signature basis. The bill is very carelessly worded. Usually bills to do this are careful to specify that initiative proponents are free to award bonuses to high-performing circulators, but this bill simply bans all payment on the basis of how many signatures were collected, without discussing the nuances.

If the bill passes, it must then get a popular vote in 2018, because it is a constitutional amendment. Thanks to several people for the news.

On February 14, the New Hampshire House Elections Committee defeated HB 384, which would have set up a committee to study the state’s ballot access laws. All the Republicans on the Committee voted against the bill; all the Democrats supported the bill. Republicans have a majority in the New Hampshire House. Thanks to Darryl Perry for this news.

On February 8, the South Dakota Senate unanimously passed HB 1037, which sets up procedures for an independent presidential candidate to use a stand-in vice-presidential candidate, and for an independent candidate for Governor to use a stand-in for Lieutenant Governor. The bill also codifies the policy announced a year ago that lets newly-qualifying parties have until July to submit their petition, if they are willing to give up running for Congress, legislature or Governor that first year on the ballot. Otherwise the petition deadline remains in March, a policy that is being litigated in Libertarian Party of South Dakota v Krebs. Discovery is underway in that lawsuit.

HB 1037 now returns to the House for concurrence in the Senate amendment.