Bill to shift precinct-vacancy authority to legislative district chairs advances amid partisan concern

Senate Bill 18-25, as amended, changes how precinct committee vacancies are filled in large counties by directing legislative district chairs in counties with populations over 500,000 to submit lists of names to county boards of supervisors and requiring boards to fill vacancies within 30 days. The Culligan amendment clarified application mechanics for split districts and similar edge cases.

Precinct captains and long-time activists testified both for and against the measure. Speakers who opposed the bill argued it risks empowering a single district chair to block or control appointments and could neutralize grassroots precinct committeemen. "If you start letting the LD Chairs totally do this, I know I couldn't get these people approved," said Susan Thomas, a precinct captain, arguing the change could centralize control and weaken volunteers' influence.

Supporters, including former legislator Ken Berger and others who said they experienced protracted application delays, said the bill would restore transparency and speed up a process that in some cases took many months. "This bill does open up and streamlines the process," Ken Berger said, adding county boards had in some cases delayed approvals for eight months.

Committee members discussed trade-offs: streamlining and formalized applications versus risks of concentrated control. The Culligan amendment was adopted; the committee voted to give SB 18-25 a due-pass recommendation (vote recorded as 4 ayes, 1 nay, 1 present, 1 absent).

Next steps: With the amendment adopted, stakeholders said they will continue discussion on split-district and organization-edge cases ahead of floor consideration.