On March 14, the Mississippi Senate passed SB 2770, a bill to restore the initiative process. The vote was 26-21. It says an initiative needs a popular vote of 66.67% in order to pass. It leaves open the question of how many signatures would be needed. See this story.
On March 14, No Labels said that it has formed a “Country Over Party Committee” that will recommend a presidential and a vice-presidential ticket. Then the party’s approximately 800 delegates will be asked if they approve of the ticket. The ticket only needs a majority vote to be launched.
The nominating committee coulc conceivably recommend a ticket as early as March 21, according to No Labels leader Joe Lieberman.
On March 11, Harry Kresky died at the age of 79. He was a long-time ballot access attorney and a leading member of the New Alliance Party, which existed from 1982 until 1994. He was also a Board Member of the Coalition for Free & Open Elections (COFOE), representing Independent Voting, a successor organization to the New Alliance Party.
Kresky and his fellow New Alliance Party colleague Gary Sinawski helped the New Alliance Party places its presidential nominee, Lenora Fulani, on the ballot of all 50 states in 1988. In 2004, Kresky was a ballot access attorney for Ralph Nader, when Nader’s ballot position was challenged in two dozen states.
Kresky is the second board member of COFOE to die this month; the first was Jim Hedges of the Prohibition Party.
On March 12, the Idaho Senate passed SB 1415, the bill to reinstate presidential primaries in Idaho. The bill would set them in May, and if the bill continues to advance quickly, it could take effect this year. Idaho gives all qualified parties a presidential primary. The Idaho Libertarian and Constitution Parties would probably participate.
On March 12, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed HB 661, which moves the independent presidential petition deadline from March to August. Idaho thus becomes the second state that has improved its petition deadline owing to lawsuits filed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
