Citizens in Charge

Ballot Access News reports that Arizona Senate Bill 1091 has been assigned to a committee and will probably get a hearing.

Among other things, the bill calls for a narrow application of last year’s federal court decision saying Arizona can’t ban out of state petition signature collectors. That decision said it is unconstitutional to prevent independent presidential candidates from bringing in out of state help to qualify for the ballot. The decision is thought to apply to all types of petition circulating, but the Secretary of State would like to continue to ban out of state collectors for other types of petitions, including ballot initiatives.

Residency requirements for signature collectors were struck down by federal courts in three states in 2008; Arizona, Ohio, and Oklahoma.