The Illinois legislature has expanded the deadline for HB 1685 to finally pass. This is the bill for the National Popular Vote Plan. The new deadline is June 22. Since the Illinois legislature is in extended session, only bills that have permission to be considered can advance. Although both houses passed the bill earlier, the versions were different, so further legislative action is needed before the bill can be sent to the Governor.
The Pennsylvania legislature is unlikely to pass the bill that moves the primary (for president and all other office) from April 22 to February 5. The State Elections Department has told the legislature that the change cannot be implemented unless the bill passes by June 30. Since the bill has made so little headway in either house, there is virtually no chance that it can pass by then.
On June 14, the New Jersey Senate State Government Committee passed the S2695. This is the National Popular Vote Plan.
The U.S. Supreme Court released some opinions on June 14, but the campaign finance challenge to the McCain-Feingold law was not among them. The next opinion day will be Monday, June 18. The campaign finance case is Federal Election Commission v Wisconsin Right to Life.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll released on June 13 shows that no Republican enjoys support from as much as 30% of the voters who plan to vote in Republican presidential primaries. The poll, based on 1,008 voters, shows: Rudy Giuliani 29%, Fred Thompson 20%, Mitt Romney 14%, John McCain 14%, Mike Huckabee 3%, Ron Paul 2%, Tommy Thompson 2%, Sam Brownback 1%, Jim Gilmore 1%, Duncan Hunter 1%, Tom Tancredo 1%, other or undecided 12%.
It is quite possible that the Republican National Convention itself will make the meaningful decision as to who the Republican presidential nominee will be. That would make for a very short general election campaign, since that convention is not until September 1-4, 2008.
The same poll also polled Democrats, but that field is not so split, since Hillary Clinton enjoys 39%.
