Texas Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) has introduced SB 2531, to double the number of signatures for an independent candidate, from 1% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 2%. The Texas statewide independent petition has been 1% ever since 1903 when Texas first created government-printed ballots.

Even the 1% petition is so difficult, it is seldom used. It has not been used statewide since 2006. For legislative independents, only one qualified in 2022. Voters who vote in the primary cannot sign independent candidate petitions, and the time period to collect the signatures is short.

The bill also doubles filing fees. The filing fee for U.S. Senator goes from $5,000 to $10,000. The bill also doubles the number of signatures needed for a petition in lieu of filing fee. Thanks to Linda Curtis for this news.

Seven Democratic Representatives in Minnesota have introduced HF 2802. It changes the definition of a qualified party from one that polled 5% at either of the last two elections for a statewide office, to one that polled 10%. It would take effect before the 2024 election if it passed.

The bill is identical to SF 1827, introduced earlier by Senator Jim Carlson. The House authors are Representatives Luke Frederick, Mike Freiberg, Emma Greenman, Nathan Coulter, Zack Stephenson, Kristi Pursell, and Esther Agbaje.

The Democratic legislators are introducing this bill in order to eliminate the ballot-qualified Legal Marijuana Now Party. In Minnesota, all qualified parties nominate by open primary. There have been insincere candidates filing for the primary of the Legal Marijuana Now Party, not because they care about marijuana legalization, but in order to injure the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee. The solution for this problem is a bill that would allow small qualified parties to nominate by convention, to give such parties more control over which races they contest, and whom to choose.

On March 9, the Mississippi House passed SCR 533. It would restore the initiative process. The House amended the bill to lower the number of signatures from 12% of the number of registered voters, to 12% of the last gubernatorial vote, so now the two versions of the bill differ and the Senate will consider the amendment.