State Affairs committee reports slate of election, public-safety bills to full Senate

The Committee on State Affairs voted to report favorably a slate of bills to the full Senate, moving measures on election administration, political advertising, petition procedures and criminal penalties out of committee.

The actions included bills to: restrict certain political subdivisions from placing conflicting measures on the same ballot; narrow when petition-related measures appear in certain filings; expand confidentiality protections for the personal information of election officials and employees; clarify technical reporting requirements for polling location reports; and increase criminal penalties related to masked participation in riots and election fraud. Senator Bettencourt moved many of the committee recommendations; several bills were accompanied by committee substitutes explained by authors or by staff during the hearing.

Why it matters: Several bills affect election administration and campaign activity, and others raise criminal penalties that, if enacted, would change state enforcement options. A number of the measures were recommended for placement on the local and uncontested calendar, meaning the committee determined they were eligible for expedited consideration on the floor.

Key bills and committee action

- Senate Bill 1183 — Reported favorably to the full Senate (recommendation that it do pass and be printed). Motion moved by Senator Bettencourt. Vote tally recorded in committee: 9 ayes, 1 nay. (Bill text: not specified in…