On May 29, independent U.S. Senator Angus King announced that he is running for re-election, again as an independent. The Senate has three independents, all of them up for re-election this year. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is also running for re-election. Senator Kyrsten Sinema is not running for re-election.
On May 29, the Sixth Circuit issued an opinion in Brown v Yost, 24-3354, that is protective of the ability of people to use the initiative process in Ohio. The Ohio law does not permit a statewide initiative to circulate until the proponents collect 1,000 signatures and submit their proposed initiative and a summary to the Attorney General. If the Attorney General agrees that the summary is fair, he or she then send it on the Ohio Ballot Board, which then sends it on to the Secretary of State. Only then can the group start to collect the signatures. This year 413,000 signatures are needed, and the due date is July 3.
The group that filed the lawsuit has been trying to get started since last year, but the Attorney General has rejected their proposed summary six times. The Sixth Circuit ordered the Attorney General to send the paperwork to the Ohio Ballot Board, a process that should be quick and should let the group finally start to get its signatures. The measure would abolish qualified immunity for police officers. The decision was 2-1. Here is the Opinion. It is by Judge Karen Nelson Moore, a Clinton appointee, and is also signed by Judge Andre Mathis, a Biden appointee. The dissent is by Judge John K. Bush, a Trump appointee.
Here is an interesting news story, with pictures, about the oddity of the New Jersey primary of June 4, 2024. Democratic primary ballots use an office-block ballot. Republican primary ballots still use the old format.
This news story says the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., campaign spent $1,100,000 on its New York petition drive. It also says the campaign has filed a lawsuit to overturn New York state ballot access laws. This post will be updated when more information about the lawsuit is found.
On May 28, the Ohio Senate passed a bill that moves the deadline for a qualified party to certify its national ticket from 90 days before the general election, to 74 days before. If the bill becomes law, the deadline will be August 23.
UPDATE: the bill is HB 271. Here is the text. It applies only to the 2024 election. It also outlaws contributions to initiative campaigns from foreigners, something the Ohio Republican legislators strongly favor.
Other bills relating to the deadline for certification of national tickets have also been introduced in the special session:
1. SB 279, only relates to the deadline, and only applies to the 2024 election
2. SB 280, only relates to the deadline, moves the deadline permanently to 60 days before the general election (early September).
3. HB 2, only relates to the deadline, applies only to 2024, moves it to 65 days before the general election.
