The Republican National Committee’s Rules Committee is meeting April 1-4 near Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the agenda is a determination to work out a recommended plan for presidential primary schedules in 2012. The Republican Party can only change its rules at its national convention. The Rules Committee, therefore, hopes to come up with a plan that the national convention can approve, when it meets September 1-4 in Minnesota.

The Rules Committee is considering five various plans. Some of them organize the nation by region and allow for a lottery to determine which region goes first. Another plan groups the states by population, and provides that the smallest states go first, and the largest states last. Most of the plans allow New Hampshire and South Carolina the right to go ahead of all other states.

On April 1, the Alaskan Independence Party state officers decided that the party will again nominate the Constitution Party’s presidential nominee. The Alaskan Independence Party also followed that policy in 2004.

This gives the Constitution Party ballot access for president in 19 states currently. Four years ago at this point in the cycle, it was only on in 16 states.

On March 31, the Missouri Senate Financial, Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee held a hearing on HB 1310. That bill moves the independent candidate petition deadline from late July to March. It does not exclude presidential independents. For that reason, the bill is clearly unconstitutional under Anderson v Celebrezze, and also McCarthy v Kirkpatrick.

Barbara Woodruff, chair of Show Me Independents, testified against the bill and furnished each Senator with a copy of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Anderson v Celebrezze. The bill’s sponsor did not try to argue that his bill would be upheld. He merely stated that he doesn’t want anyone running against him, and not having to declare a candidacy until July of the election year. The Committee will decide later whether to pass the bill or not.