Court clears way for Michigan to hold January 15 primary

[babylonsister]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/21/court-clears-way-for-michigan-to-hold-january-15-primary/

November 21, 2007
Court clears way for Michigan to hold January 15 primary

Michigan Sen. Carl Levin has suggested that Michigan Democrats hold their caucus the same day as New Hampshire's primary.

LANSING, Michigan (AP) — Michigan's Jan. 15 presidential primary can go forward, the state Supreme Court decided Wednesday, keeping alive the state's bid to be one of the 2008 campaign's first contests.

The court decision should make it easier for New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner to schedule that state's primary,which New Hampshire law requires to be the nation's first. Gardner has been waiting to see what the Michigan courts would do.

The high court's decision should clear the way for the Republican and Democratic parties to take part in the Jan. 15 primary. Both have already filed letters with the secretary of state saying that's their plan.

But Democrats also have kept open the possibility of picking their presidential favorite through a party caucus, even if the primary is held.

That could delay Gardner's decision on the New Hampshire date even more. Michigan Sen. Carl Levin has suggested holding the Michigan caucus the same day as the New Hampshire primary, so Gardner doesn't want to make a decision until that issue is settled.

In its 4-1 decision Wednesday, the Michigan Supreme Court overturned lower court rulings that said the law setting up the primary was unconstitutional because it would let the state political parties keep track of voters' names and whether they took Democratic or GOP primary ballots but withhold that information from the public.

[SharonRB]

1. This sucks!

As of yesterday, we really thought it couldn't happen.

[SharonRB]

2. Correction -- it was a 4-3 decision

not 4-1. There are 7 justices on the court -- four of them Repubs.