Senate committee advances elections budget after debate on billing major parties for presidential nominating primary

The Minnesota Senate Finance Committee on April 23 reviewed Senate File 3096, the elections omnibus budget bill, and accepted a reporting amendment on voter outreach before laying the bill, as amended, on the table.

Committee members heard a walk-through of fiscal items from a nonpartisan fiscal analyst and then debated a provision that would have the state bill major political parties for their share of the cost of administering a presidential nominating primary. Opponents said the move could discourage third-party participation; supporters called the primary essentially a party-run straw poll and argued the parties should pay if they ask the state to run it.

The committee’s fiscal analyst, Mr. Erickson, described the bill’s net fiscal changes to the secretary of state and the campaign finance board. Erickson said the bill includes “$260,000 one time for the secretary of state to conduct some voter outreach efforts,”…