The May 23 Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma’s largest daily newspaper, has this story about the failure of the legislature to pass any ballot access reform for minor parties. The story is undoubtably the result of a well-written press release by Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform (OBAR). Thanks to Richard Prawdzienski for the news. As the story and the press release makes clear, Oklahoma has two-year legislative sessions, and the bill (which has already passed both Houses overwhelmingly) has good chances in 2010.

The May 23 edition of the Connecticut Post, a Hearst chain newspaper based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, has this editorial in support of the bill to establish the National Popular Vote Plan.

The Connecticut bill, HB 6437, has passed the House and is pending in the State Senate.

The Louisiana House Committee on the House and Government Affairs holds a hearing on HB 776 on Tuesday, May 26. This is the bill that eliminates the ability of a small qualified party to nominate a candidate for Congress. Currently, all qualified parties in Louisiana nominate by primary for Congress. The bill would eliminate the primary for small qualified parties and replace it with nothing. Therefore, although members of small qualified parties could continue to run for Congress by paying the filing fee, if two members of the same party both ran for the same seat, both would appear on the general election ballot in November. The party itself would be unable to choose one of them. Thanks to Sam Gallo for this news.