HB 1429, the Oklahoma ballot access reform bill, seems dead for this year. The House Rules Committee on March 8 again refused to hear the bill, so it cannot pass this year, although it is technically still alive and could theoreticallly pass next year. It is also possible that the contents of the bill could be amended into another election law bill.

In the meantime, the Oklahoma Libertarian Party lawsuit against the ballot access laws for parties is moving ahead. A status conference was held last week, and deadlines have been set for the introduction of evidence. A trial will be held late this year.

This morning, the New York Times editorialized that New York state should buy optical-scan vote-counting machines, not touch-screen voting machines. Here is a link to the editorial, which is markedly clear and persuasive.

On March 4, Kentucky HB 141 passed the Senate. HB 141 is the first ballot access improvement bill to pass out of a legislature, so far in 2005. It removes the restriction on petitioning for president in the odd year before an election. It also removes the requirement that minor party and independent candidates for president file any declaration of candidacy in advance of turning in signatures. The bill was backed by the Secretary of State and passed in both houses unanimously.