Political or personal disagreement with an elected official is not reason enough for a recall. Yet too often those are the reasons behind citizen action. The law that permits recalls may be in need of reform. At the moment, it allows citizens 30 days to gather signatures from registered voters. The number needed ranges from 25 percent to 45 percent of the number of voters in the last election.
Some low percentages allow petition carriers to launch recalls with just a handful of signatures.
We believe 35 percent is a reasonable maximum and anything in the 10 to 15 percent range an unacceptable number. An effort in the last session attempted to limit recall petitions to cases such as poor attendance, neglect in duties or illegal acts. Yet recall petitions need to be difficult to implement. They need to be filed for valid reasons and not just whims. Post your thoughts in The Public Forum.