Alaska: Governor's veto leads to recall threats

Governor Bill Walker (I) is facing recall threats from a Republican and lawsuit threats from a Democrat over his veto of budget bill. The result of the veto is that it would limit the Permanent Fund Dividend checks to $1000. Joe Miller, who won the Republican Senate primary in 2010 only to lose to Lisa Murkowski in the general is calling for a recall.

A recall in Alaska is very difficult. It is a malfeasance standard/judicial recall state and this action would almost certainly not meet the requirements. Even if it did, petitioners would need 10% of turnout, which would be 28,585.

The Election Division reports that the only petition filed against a governor was against a member of the Alaska Independent Party, Governor Walter Hickel in 1992. That was rejected by the courts.