Committee advances bill allowing political central committees to send email notices

Senator Matt Regier introduced Senate Bill 366 to allow central political committees to use email, in addition to mail, to notify precinct people about conventions and related business.

At the hearing, Senator Regier said the change is simple: "Right now it says through mail and we're just adding email. So central committees can email their precinct people to notice the convention and not have to lick a stamp and send it." He framed the change as a modest modernization.

Lisa Bennett testified by phone as an opponent. Bennett said she supports some statutory baseline language that clarifies parties may make their own rules (she cited a portion of Title 13) but objected to what she described as embedding private party bylaws into state law. "The reason I'm opposed to this bill is that these that the Republican Party, Democrat Party, all parties are private organizations," Bennett said. She recommended repealing the portion of statute she said mirrors party bylaws rather than updating it.

Committee members probed Bennett about the statutory references; Bennett pointed to a range of sections she believed should be removed or returned to party governance. Senator Regier said he was attempting a limited update to permit email notification and was open to leaving other matters to central committees.

The committee later took executive action. The vice chair moved Senate Bill 366 do pass. The committee approved the bill by voice vote; senators Matt Regier and Jacinda Morneau were recorded as aye by proxy in the roll notes.

Ending: The committee advanced SB 366 after brief debate; opponents argued the change risked state involvement in private party bylaws but the majority supported the limited modernization to permit email notices.