On October 30, the Ohio House Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee passed SB 193, after amending it to make it less restrictive. The bill, as amended, sets the petition to put a newly-qualifying party on the ballot at one-half of 1% of the last vote cast. Existing law requires 1%. For 2014, the amended bill would require almost 28,000 valid signatures, due in July 2014.

Also, the bill, as amended, sets a 2% vote test for the office at the top of the ticket, which would need to be met every four years.

All eight Republicans on the Committee voted for the amended bill; the five Democrats, who favor requiring 5,000 signatures, voted against the bill. Thanks to Bob Bridges for this news. The House will vote on the amended bill in a few hours. UPDATE: here is a news story about the amendments to the bill. UPDATE: here is another story.

The Ohio House Committee on Policy and Legislative Oversight will hear SB 193, the ballot access bill, on October 30, Wednesday, at 8:30 a.m., in room 115 of the Capitol. The bill had been scheduled for a hearing on October 29. Thanks to Bob Bridges for this news.

The bill, as passed by the Senate, would have the effect of removing the Constitution, Green, Libertarian, and Socialist Parties from the 2014 ballot.

On October 29, the Fourth Circuit heard oral argument in Pisano v Strach, 13-1368. The issue is North Carolina’s May 17 petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties. The lower court had upheld the deadline. The three judges who heard the case are: Paul Niemeyer, a Bush Sr. appointee; Diana G. Motz, a Clinton appointee; and Albert Diaz, an Obama appointee. The hearing lasted twenty minutes.

The state had little to say in support of the May deadline, but argued that the plaintiffs Constitution Party and Green Party could not have succeeded in getting on the ballot in 2012 even if they had more time. A side issue is whether the lower court should have permitted evidence-gathering. It is difficult to predict how the panel will rule. Judge Niemeyer seemed sympathetic to the state; the other two judges are difficult to predict.