Vermont S. 108, which would provide that Instant-Runoff voting be used in congressional general elections, is likely to advance during the first half of February. The bill passed the Senate last year, and also the House policy committee last year. It will probably pass the House fiscal committee during the first ten days in February, and is also expected to pass the full House.

No state has ever used Instant Runoff-Voting in a statewide general election in U.S. history, so if this bill passes, it will be historic. IRV was used long ago in a few states for statewide primaries.

The Washington House Government Committee heard testimony on HB 1534, a bill to improve ballot access for minor parties and independent candidates, on January 23. Eight people testified in favor, and no one testified against. The committee seemed favorably disposed. The final bill still is being drafted.

On January 23, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court refused to re-hear the Carl Romanelli lawsuit, concerning whether the Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006 is responsible for paying the court costs of the people who challenged his petition. However, since the Supreme Court’s order last year in his case had sent the case back to the lower court to re-do it, that legal fight is not over. It will probably take a year or more for the lower court to re-do its order. When that happens, the amount he owes may perhaps be substantially lower.