The Maine House will probably vote on LD 144 on May 28 or May 29. This is the bill to shrink House membership from 151 members to 131 members. As a proposed Constitutional change, it needs two-thirds support in each house. However, in a preliminary vote earlier in May, the bill received overwhelming support in the House. The Maine legislature meets until June 17.
The Nevada National Popular Vote Plan bill, AB 413, cannot become law this year. Although it passed the Assembly on April 21, and has never been defeated in the Senate, it didn’t move through any Senate committee fast enough to meet the legislative deadlines.
The Nevada National Popular Vote Plan bill, AB 413, cannot become law this year. Although it passed the Assembly on April 21, and has never been defeated in the Senate, it didn’t move through any Senate committee fast enough to meet the legislative deadlines.
The May 28 issue of the Lake Forester (the daily newspaper of Lake Forest, Illinois) has this editorial, criticizing the legislature for retaining the state’s primary in February.
No state has ever had its congressional primary that early in a mid-term year. Illinois SB 46, co-sponsored this year by eight State Senators, would have moved the 2010 primary to June, but it failed to make any progress, and the legislature is close to adjournment.
On May 27, as noted below, the Louisiana Committee on House and Governmental Affairs heard an hour’s testimony about HB 776, the bill to eliminate congressional primaries for small qualified parties. As noted below, the bill was defeated after two Louisiana Libertarians, and one Louisiana Green, and members of the NAACP and College Republicans testified against the bill. This interesting hearing can be watched by using this link. Scroll down to “May 27” and “House & Gov.” HB 776 is the second bill. The discussion of the first bill takes the first 30 minutes, so if you only wish to hear the testimony on HB 776, skip the first 30 minutes.
