On March 30, a subcommittee of the Tennessee House passed HB 794, which changes the procedure for a new party to qualify for the ballot. It moves the deadline from March to early April, and deletes the wording on the petition that implies that the signers are members of the party. But it retains the requirement that the petition needs 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote, which is now approximately 40,000 valid signatures.
Representative Mike Turner (D-Old Hickory), a member of the subcommittee, said the procedure is still too difficult, and said he would propose an amendment to make it easier when the bill is heard in the full House Committee next week. Witnesses were not allowed to testify today, but they will be allowed to testify in full committee next week. The subcommittee had 50 bills to handle at this meeting.