Monday, June 8, 2009

The Calm After the... Well, It Wasn't a Storm.

...not in 2009, at least.

As we saw recently the clock is ticking on the frontloading bills proposed during 2009. The year's legislative session has ended in most states and the crucial cross-over deadline has passed in still more. That particular deadline is typified by what was witnessed in North Carolina in May. For example, a bill has to have passed in its originating chamber and have crossed over to the other legislative chamber for consideration by a particular point in the session. Bills that don't pass by that point are dead for the session.

And this rule came into play in several other states considering primary-shifting legislation in 2009. The catch is that there are several other states, like Georgia, where legislation is allowed to carry over from one legislative session to the next. The table below updates the one from FHQ's original post by adding in the cross-over and carry-over information.

Frontloading Bills (2009 Legislative Session)
State
Bill
Status
Session Adjourns/Cross-over Deadline
Description
Arkansas
HB 1021
passed
May 1/none
moves presidential primary from first Tuesday in February to the Tuesday after the third Monday in May
Florida
HB 759/SB 2304
died in committee
May 8/none
moves presidential primary from last Tuesday in January to the second Tuesday in March
Georgia
HB 848
carried over to 2010 session
April 4/March 12
moves presidential primary from first Tuesday in February to first Tuesday in March
Illinois
HB 2308/SB 46
in committee/could carry over to 2010year-round
May 31/April 3
moves state and local primaries from first Tuesday in February to third Tuesday in March/first Tuesday in June
Indiana
SCR 28
passed Senate, no action in House
April 29/Feb. 26
forms commission to investigate moving presidential primary
Minnesota
HF 31/SF 157
in committee/could carry over to 2010May 18/none
creates presidential primary and moves to first Tuesday in February
New Hampshire
HB 341
in committee/could carry over to 2010July 1/
March 25
allows only Iowa caucus to precede presidential primary
New Jersey
A 2413
in committee
year-round/none
moves presidential primary from first Tuesday in February to first Tuesday in June
North Carolina
S 150
in committee/could carry over to 2010early July/May 14
moves presidential primary from first Tuesday after first Monday in May to first Tuesday in February
North Dakota
SB 2288
passed
May 2/Feb. 20
eliminates state involvement in presidential preference caucus
Oklahoma
HB 1340
in committee/could carry over to 2010
May 29 22/March 12
shifts financial burden of presidential primary from state to state parties
Oregon
SB 412
in committee/cannot carry over to 2010late June/none
moves presidential primary from third Tuesday in May to first Tuesday in February
Texas
HB 246
in committee/cannot carry over to 2010
June 1/May 15
moves presidential primary from first Tuesday in March to first Tuesday in February
Source(s): National Conference of State Legislatures, MultiState.com

With the cross-over information added, New Jersey and Oregon are the only states remaining with active bills to frontload their state's 2012 presidential primaries during the 2009 session. The drawback is that the bill in Oregon will have to be acted upon before the end of the session at the end of June. Otherwise the bill will die, and without a carry-over provision in place, similar legislation will have to be reintroduced the next time the legislature convenes. And though the Texas legislature has adjourned, the Lone Star state is in a similar position to Oregon in that there is no carry over there. The New Jersey bill, meanwhile, was already carried over from 2008 to 2009 and will expire when the members of the legislature stand for reelection in November.

However, in several states, 2009 legislation could carry over like Georgia's did. Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Oklahoma could all have presidential primary-related legislation revived in 2010, though it is less certain in each than in the case of the Peach state.

All in all, it was a quiet cycle for frontloading. The legislature in Arkansas successfully repealed the Natural state's separate presidential primary and Hawaii Republicans adopted a February caucus to replace the Aloha state's May convention. But for the year after an election, that isn't all that surprising.


Recent Posts:
Past is Prologue? The New Jersey Governor's Race

No Move is Good Move: Texas Won't Change 2012 Primary Dates in 2009

New Jersey Gubernatorial Primary Today

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