Utah Representative Raymond Ward (R-Bountiful) has introduced HB 193, to reduce the number of signatures needed for candidates to get on a primary ballot if they don’t have significant support at a state party meeting. Existing law requires a petition of 2% of that party’s registration. The bill would lower that to 1,000 signatures for U.S. Senate, Governor, and Attorey General; 200 for Treasurer and Auditor; 500 for U.S. House; 200 for State Senate; and 100 for State House.
The Wyoming Senate Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisons Committee has put HB 173 on its agenda for February 14, Friday, at 7:30 a.m. This is the bill that increases the independent statewide independent candidate petition requirement from 2% to 3% of the last U.S. House vote, and raises the independent petition for legislative candidates from 2% to 5%. It also moves the independent petition filing deadline from August to June. It has already passed the House.
Wyoming already has the nation’s most severe petition for presidential candidates running outside the major parties, on a percentage basis. Furthermore, it only had three presidential candidates on the ballot in November 2024. Forty-seven states had at least four presidential candidates on the ballot.
On February 13, U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin, an Obama appointee, enjoined President Trump’s order on birthright citizenship. Doe v Trump, U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, 1:25cv-10135. Here is the 31-page opinion, which stresses that the Fourteenth Amendment is not concerned about the parents of the person born in the United States, just the person born here.
The other decisions that agree were issued recently in Maryland, Washington, and New Hampshire.
The American Solidarity has renewed its political body status in California. This means the election officials will continue tallying the number of people who register into the party. Thanks to Eric Wong for this news.
On February 12, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed SB 6002. The bill makes it a felony for a city council member, or a county governing board member, to vote to create a sanctuary for persons who are not legally in the United States.
