A bill with bipartisan sponsorship has been introduced in Pennsylvania to move the primary for all office, in presidential years, from April to the third Tuesday in March. It is SB 224. Thanks to Josh Putnam for this news. If passed, the bill would not affect petitioning deadlines for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties.
Fourteen Arizona legislators are sponsoring SCR1036 or HCR2033, identical bills in each house that would add a provision to the state constitution, guaranteeing the ability of qualified political parties to place their nominees on the general election ballot. If the bills pass, the voters would vote on the proposed amendment.
The bills appear to counter proposed initiatives that would deprive parties of their ability to nominate candidates.
On January 31, the Wyoming legislature killed HB 155. It would have moved petition deadlines for independent candidates from August to June, and would have forced qualified minor parties to choose all their nominees in May. Currently they have until the day before primary day (in August) to choose them.
On February 2, the Federal Election Commission announced that for the next two years, individuals can give $3,300 to a candidate for federal office. The limit rises with inflation. The new limit on how much an individual may donate to a national committee of a political party rises to $41,300. See the announcement here.
On January 30, Congressmember Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) introduced HB 622, to increase the size of the U.S. House from 435 to 585 members, effective in 2031.
