Last Friday, provided testimony on three bills. As I said in my prepared remarks:
(Click on the bill numbers for a link to my testimony, which contains links to each bill’s status page, which links to bill text)
I oppose S.B.365. As I testified last Friday, we humans have difficulty balancing risks and rewards. This is a case where the added risks outweigh the added convenience.
This bill, while well intended, would remove the valuable fraud detection mechanism of hand-signed absentee ballot applications.
I support H.B.5414. The bill would have the Judiciary rather than the House or Senate rule on remedies to contested elections
Observing all the meetings or hearings in last year’s Committee on Contested Elections and the overall result on public confidence, I strongly support this bill.
The overall result of systems to adjudicate close elections, as our current system for Senator and Representative, is less trust in the system by the public and candidates.
As I said in answer to a question: It does not need eliminate the House and Senate’s prerogative to decide to seat a member or not. I could be worded so that the courts could adjudicate election issues, leaving the House and Senate with the final review.
I would support H.B.5404, IF it were Broadened and Corrected.
First, I would support this Task Force if some significant changes were made, especially to the charge for the Task Force, and if it was appropriately funded and staffed.
This proposal is limited to one, incorrectly defined, type of Ranked Choice Voting known as Instant Runoff Voting. This proposal defines the study in a way that would be impossible to satisfy.
Secondly, My written testimony contains a laundry list of issues such a Task Force should address.
I am concerned that this Task Force needs more time, a significant staff budget to handle all the issues, and also to reimburse experts to provide information, analysis, and suggestions to the committee, in order for there to be a thorough evaluation.
Finally, The Task Force should entail several, opportunities for expert and public oral and written testimony, noticed well in advance.
