Primary Calendar Drama Continues in Michigan

Real Clear Politics:

"Michigan's drive to hold one of the earliest presidential primary contests in the nation suffered a substantial -- but perhaps not fatal -- blow yesterday when Ingham County Circuit Judge William Collette ruled that a law moving the primary date to January 15 violated the state constitution.

At issue are the voting lists created by the state-funded primary. The newly passed law stipulates the two major parties will get exclusive access to the list of voter names, but because the state bears the costs of putting on the primary -- estimated to be $12 million -- Judge Collette said this de facto transfer of public property to private interests was unconstitutional.

What now? Proponents downplayed the ruling as a 'hiccup' that could be remedied by a quick trip back to the state legislature to strike the offending provision. Others are not sure that the legislature, which spent months in intense negotiations crafting the original bill, can act in time to meet a critical and fast approaching deadline. No later than November 14, the two parties must declare to the Michigan Secretary of State whether they intend to use a statewide primary to select their presidential delegates."