On February 22, the Kansas Senate tentatively approved SB 128, the bill to suspend the presidential primary in 2012. No roll call vote was taken. The bill will receive a final vote on February 23. The Secretary of State asks for the suspension because he estimates the primary will cost the state $1,321,122 and the money is not in the state budget. UPDATE: as expected, the Senate passed the bill on February 23.

Kansas has frequently suspended its presidential primary in the past for fiscal reasons. The only years Kansas has actually held a presidential primary have been 1980 and 1992.

On February 22, the Vermont Senate passed SB 31 on second reading, by a vote of 20-10. The bill will probably receive third reading in the Senate on or by February 25. SB 31 is the National Popular Vote Plan bill.

On February 22, the New Hampshire House Election Law Committee voted to retain the two ballot access bills, HB 152 and HB 153. This means that they will receive another hearing to iron out some perceived problems. If the Committee had wished not to take any more action on these bills, the Committee would have labeled them “Inexpedient to Pass” and they would have been dead.

The bills ease ballot access for independent candidates and for new and minor parties. New Hampshire is the only New England state that has no qualified parties other than the Democratic and Republican Parties. New Hampshire has not had any ballot-qualified parties other than the Democratic and Republican Parties since November 1996. The only other states about which this statement is true are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Tennessee’s definition of political party was declared unconstitutional last year and has not yet been replaced. Thanks to Rich Tomasso for the news about the New Hampshire bills.