In 2004, the last time Montana elected a governor, there were four candidates on the November ballot, the nominees of the Democratic, Republican, Green and Libertarian Parties. The Montana University System sponsored a gubernatorial candidate’s debate and only invited the two major party nominees. The Green Party gubernatorial candidate, Robert Kelleher, who was also an attorney, sued the University System on behalf of himself and the Libertarian nominee, Stan Jones. They did not prevail in the lower court, so they appealed to the Montana Supreme Court. That court heard the case on November 9, 2005, and ruled against the plaintiffs on March 23, 2007, although there was one dissenter. Now the case has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. It is Jones v Montana University System, 07-223.

State Senator Jenny Oropeza plans ask the California Assembly to pass SB 408 next week. The bill makes it illegal for anyone to circulate a statewide initiative, unless that person had been registered to vote (or had been eligible to be registered to vote) at the time of the previous election. This would make it impossible for people who had not yet been 18 years of age in the last election, or people who had moved into California since the last election, to circulate a statewide initiative.

On August 30, the Michigan legislature passed SB 624, which says that the presidential primary will be on January 15. The Governor is expected to sign it. However, Michigan Democrats may decide not to use the primary, and use caucuses instead.