03/07/1995 03:40 PM Senate STA

 SSTA - 3/7/95                                                                 
                                                                               
          SJR 15 GOV & LT GOV MUST RECEIVE 50 % VOTE                         
                                                                               
 SENATOR SHARP brings up SJR 15 as the next order of business before           
 the Senate State Affairs Committee and calls the first witness.               
                                                                               
 Number 259                                                                    
                                                                               
 JOSH FINK, Aide to Senator Kelly, prime sponsor of SJR 15, reads              
 the sponsor statement for the bill to the committee.                          
                                                                               
 Number 295                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS asks Mr. Fink for clarification of how SJR
 would affect write-in candidates.                                          
                                                                               
 MR. FINK responds write-in candidates would not be allowed in a               
 run-off election, because the state could end up with no candidate            
 receiving at least 50% of the votes cast in the election, and we              
 could end up back where we started.                                           
                                                                               
 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS states he would not want to prevent a write-           
 in candidate who came in first or second in a primary or general              
 election to be excluded from the run-off election.                            
                                                                               
 Number 330                                                                    
                                                                               
 DAVID KOIVUNIEMI, Acting Director, Division of Elections, states he           
 is available to answer questions.  He informs the committee that if           
 SJR 15 passes, there will need to be enabling legislation passed in           
 order to comply with the deadlines set in the resolution.  If SJR
 had been in effect, the state would have had a run-off election            
 every election after 1970.                                                    
                                                                               
 Number 354                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN SHARP thinks the Louisiana system would be a better                  
 system.  In Louisiana, any candidate who gets over 50% in the                 
 primary wins the election and the race is over.  If no candidate              
 gets over 50%, the two highest vote getters face off in the general           
 election.  It could be two candidates of the same party, too.                 
                                                                               
 Number 361                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR LEMAN comments a person could win a run-off election by               
 fewer votes than they received in the general election, since there           
 is generally a smaller turn out in run-off elections.                         
                                                                               
 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS makes a motion to discharge SJR 15 from the            
 Senate State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations.               
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN SHARP, hearing no objection, orders SJR 15 released from             
 committee with individual recommendations.