Hawaii State Senator Sam Slom (R-Honolulu) has introduced SB 942. It would amend the State Constitution to provide for an elected Attorney General. Currently, the only state executive officer elected by Hawaii voters is the ticket of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
California will hold special elections for three State Senate seats on March 17. Filing has now closed. Very few candidates filed. In two of the three races, only members of one party are running.
In the 37th district in Orange County, the only candidates are three Republicans: John Moorlach, Naz Namazi, and Donald Wagner.
In the 21st district in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, only one candidate filed, Republican Sharon Runner.
In the 7th district in Contra Costa County, four Democrats and one Republican filed. The four Democrats are Susan Bonilla, Joan Buchanan, Steve Glazer, and Terry Kremin. The Republican is Michaela Hertle.
Eight Pennsylvania State Senators have introduced SB 92, which would amend the State Constitution to allow statewide initiatives. The measure has four Democratic and four Republican sponsors. The Democrats are Lisa Boscola, Judith Schwank, Rob Teplitz, and John Wozniak. The Republicans are Patrick Browne, Mike Folmer, John Rafferty, and Scott Wagner.
The measure would require the signatures of 5% of the last gubernatorial vote, and that standard would be needed in 45 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. That aspect of the bill violates the U.S. Supreme Court 1969 decision Moore v Ogilvie. Statewide petitions cannot have county distribution requirements.
See this story for details about the 2015 British election debates. There will be two debates in which the leaders of each of seven political parties are included. Then there will be one debate between the leaders of the Conservative and Labour Parties.
The first two debates will be on April 2 and April 16. The two-party debate will be April 30. The election is May 7. The seven party leaders who will participate in the first two debates are: Natalie Bennett, Green; David Cameron, Conservative; Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat; Nigel Farage, UKIP; Ed Miliband, Labour; Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish National Party; and Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru.
North Dakota HB 1260 will be heard in the House Government & Veterans Affairs Committee on January 29, at 8 a.m., Thursday. This is the bill that deletes the minimum vote turnout needed in a partisan primary before that party can nominate candidates. In North Dakota, all qualified parties nominate by primary. North Dakota has an open primary, so any voter is free to choose any party’s primary ballot. However, unless between 10% and 15% of all the primary voters choose any particular party’s primary ballot, that party can’t nominate any legislative candidates.
HB 1260 is sponsored by Rep. Corey Mock (D-Grand Forks) and is co-sponsored by Representatives Rick C. Becker (R-Bismarck), Dan Ruby (R-Minot), Blair Thoreson (R-Fargo), and Nathan Toman (R-Mandan). North Dakota is the only state that still has a minimum vote test for parties to be able to use their primaries. A similar law in Minnesota was invalidated in 2004 by the Minnesota Supreme Court, in a case filed by the Independence Party.
