On February 2, the South Dakota Senate State Affairs Committee defeated SB 33. It would have reduced the independent presidential petition requirement from 1% of the last gubernatorial vote, to one-half of 1% of the registered voters.
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On January 21, the Alabama House Constitution, Campaigns & Elections Committee passed HB67. It lowers the cost for anyone to obtain a list of the registered voters from approximately $38,000 to exactly $1,000.
On January 27, the California Senate passed SB 46 by a vote of 30-10. It says that presidential primary candidates must sign a statement under penalty of perjury that they meet the constitutional requirements to be president.
Here is a new story about the bill. The author, Senator Tom Umberg, says it is to prevent President Trump from running for renomination in 2028.
The problem with this bill is that the California Constitution directs the Secretary of State to automatically place every candidate on presidential primary ballots who is reported in the news media as a significant candidate. The bill, if enacted, would violate the California Constitution for the same reason that the California Supreme Court unanimously invalidated an earlier state law that said presidential primary candidates must reveal their income tax returns.
South Dakota State Representative Rebecca Reimer (R-Chamberlain) has introduced HB 1095. It would move the petition deadline for candidates running in a primary from late March to mid-March. On February 2 it passed the House State Affairs Committee. It would take effect immediately.
Arizona State Senator Thomas J. Shope (R-Coolidge) has introduced SB 1609. It makes it illegal for a party to change its name. It also says that party names may not include any of these words or phrases: independent, unaffiliated, no preference, decline to state, or any variation of those words or phrases.
The bill says it is retroactive to December 31, 2024.