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Josephs, House State Government Committee to move bill on early presidential primary next week

HARRISBURG, June 15 -- Based on information gathered at Thursday's House State Government Committee hearing on advancing the date of the presidential primary election, state Rep. Babette Josephs has decided to bring up one of the bills for consideration next week.

Josephs, committee chairwoman, said the committee will vote on Rep. Harry Readshaw's proposal (H.B. 289), which would move the 2008 primary to the second Tuesday in February.

"Changing the date of our presidential primary could make Pennsylvania very influential in the selection of the candidates," Josephs said. "I believe we should consider changing our date if it means giving Pennsylvania residents more clout in the process. Pennsylvanians want to participate; that's the message that was sent in the last election. I believe everyone must be at the table when important issues are being discussed and I think that includes who will represent us as our president. This is my idea of reform."

Josephs also said that moving the date ahead would encourage young people to become more involved.

"One of the principal reasons I would like Pennsylvanians to have voice in choosing the president in the primary is that young people often become politically active because of presidential elections. I believe moving our primary forward would bring more youth into the political process. And today's youth want to get involved."

This proposal reflects one of the recommendations from the governor's Election Reform Task Force, which was created in December 2004 to review Pennsylvania's election process. It's a recommendation that's also supported by the governor.

In its final report in 2005, the task force said that because 26 other states currently hold their primary elections before Pennsylvania, Pennsylvanians have not influenced the selection of a presidential nominee since 1976.

Pennsylvania's current presidential primary occurs on the fourth Tuesday in April.

The committee will bring up the bill at its Wednesday, June 20 meeting in Room 60 East Wing of the Capitol.