Wisconsin: Brazeau Board schedules recall against two town supervisors

After the Wisconsin Attorney General filed suit, Brazeau Board has finally scheduled a recall against two town supervisors, Darrell Enix and James Hanna. The supervisors failed to schedule the recall at four previous meetings. Recall will be on August 14, same as the statewide primary.

Wisconsin: Investigation of petition fraud against Democratic Senator in 2011

The Government Accountability Board is investigating recall petition signature fraud in the recall of Senator Dave Hansen. Hansen was one of three Democrats who faced and easily defeated recalls last summer.


In the allegations, two groups submitted more than 18,800 signatures. More than 3,300 signatures were tossed. Chad Fradette, one of the backers of the original effort, who then started his own attempt, claimed that the leader of the effort, David VanderLeest, was hording signatures and refusing to allow any of the group to look at them.VanderLeest ran against Hansen, after a Republican Assembly member failed to get the signatures, and got blown out. VanderLeest is currently running for a state Assembly seat.

Fradette formed a second group with David Steffen, who lost to Hansen in 2004.

Fradette says the GAB is investigating signature collectors that came from out of state, fraudulent signatures, forgeries, and try to ascertain who paid for them.

Louisiana: Shedding some light on resignation of recall chairs

Recently, two chairs of state legislative recalls resigned their posts as head of the recall campaign. This piece explains some of the detail. Slidell City Councilman Jay Newcomb, a teacher at Slidell High, headed the recall effort against state Rep. Greg Cromer. Newcomb and Cromer are both Republicans.

California: Story of Tracy's only city council recall and removal at the hands of the Slot-Machine King

On June 25, 1937, Dr. J. Frank Doughty, was kicked out of office, 536-439. His goal of cleaning up Tracy seemed to have fallen prey to the “slot-machine king,”.

California: Two Fontana School Board members face recall threats

Two Fontana School Board Members, Sophia Green and Leticia Garcia, are facing recall threats. The two opposed the After School Program, though Garcia eventually changed her vote after the creation of an oversight committee.

California: KPFA public station holding recall of board member

Berkeley-based radio station KPFA’s staff and members are voting on whether to recall board member Tracy Rosenberg, treasurer for the Pacifica Foundation (the station's parent organization).

The station is divided into two groups, SaveKPFA (the organizers of the recall) and Independents for Community Radio. The SaveKPFA group was angered by Rosenberg's decision to cancel a popular show in 2010.

In accordance with Pacifica’s bylaws, in September 2011, SaveKPFA received hundreds of signatures to recall Tracy Rosenberg, and on Nov. 1, 2011 each person who signed the petition became a certified KPFA member who could vote to recall Rosenberg.

Also:

Ballots were scheduled to be sent out in December. Pacifica, the station’s parent organization, was responsible for producing the ballots and conducting the election but did not hire an election supervisor until March.

California: Oakland Mayor Recall Fails

The recall effort against Oakland Mayor Jean Quan appears to have failed. The committee needed 19,800 valid signatures bu Monday, they claim to have only 17,000.
Petitioners appeared not to be able to raise the funds needed to collect the signatures -- they raised $15,753 by the end of March, while racking up $26,165 in debts. Note this fact:

Castro said that the committee could only pay gatherers $1 a signature, a third of what they said others were being paid.

Colorado: Trindad Councilman recall set for July 31

This is against Alfredo Pando.

UK: Criticism of the weak proposed recall law, calls for it to be abandoned

The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee cited the proposed recall law as too narrow and would lead to a lack of confidence in the government. It doesn't sound like the government will drop it or strengthen the law.

California: Three Fullerton Council members sworn in

Here

Michigan: Troy Mayor Signatures Verified; facing recall election

Troy Mayor Janice Daniels is facing a recall election, as the Election Commission verified 8,882 valid signatures, they needed 7,985.

There's a lot on this blog about the Daniels recall. Here's a quick summary from the patch page on why Daniels is facing the voters:

Daniels first came under fire in December for her anti-gay Facebook comment and has remained the center of controversy after voting against the Troy Transit Center (a scaled-down version was later approved), telling the Troy High School Gay-Straight Alliance she would bring in an expert to tell them the homosexual lifestyle is "dangerous" and writing a lengthy position paper some viewed as personally attacking city employees and council members.

Wisconsin: Craig Gilbert on the record turnout

Here

California: Atwater School Trustee facing recall election

Atwater school Trustee Sheila Whitley is facing a recall election, though it may not be able to be run on Election Day in November.  Petitioners handed in 304 valids, 40 more than needed.

Whitley voted to terminate Atwater Elementary School District Superintendent Melinda Hennes, but have not stated their reasons to the public or the two dissenting trustees. The termination apparently cost $350,000 in salary.

Wisconsin: "Recall a law" bill proposed

State Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison is proposing a law that would allow an effective recall against a bill (similar to a law in Ohio). Petitioners would need 25 percent of the total number of people who voted in the prior gubernatorial election.

Sounds like a throwback to the old recall of judicial opinions law,

Arizona: Quechan President survives recall

Quechan President Keeny Escalanti Sr. survived a recall vote, 316-248.

A separate but related recall effort is also under way against current tribal Vice President Ronda Aguerro and council members Darnella Melancon, Virgil Smith and Clivia Cyndee Miller. 

Russia: Proposed recall law for Moscow mayor

The City Duma adopted a law allowing for recalls of the mayor. A recall election would require the support of more than half of the city's residents and would not be allowed during the mayor's first year in office.

Washington:Judge to rule on Snohomish County Executive recall attempt

A recall against Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, a third-term Democrat, is going before a judge to decide whether it can proceed. Washington State is a "judicial recall" or malfeasance standard state.The judge is solely deciding whether the petition specifies improper or illegal acts in office allegedly committed by Reardon. Petitioners are claiming that Reardon broke state campaign laws by using his executive assistant and other public resources for political fundraising and lobbying. Reardon is under investigation by the Washington State Patrol for alleged misuse of public resources while on out-of-state business trips. 


If successful, petitioners will have 180 days to collect 47,444 signatures (25% of turnout).

Arizona: Quartzsite mayor resigns

More strange doings in Quartzsite.

Wisconsin: Brazeau Board supervisors refuse to schedule recall against two supervisors

But another town is refusing to schedule a recall against elected officials. The Wisconsin AG is actually involved in this one -- Supervisors in Brazeau Board adjourned the meeting when the recall came up, which is the third time in a month that the supervisors have refused to schedule the recall.

Supervisors  Darrell Enix and James Hanna are facing the recall.

Colorado: Signatures certified against Trindad City Councilman

City Councilman Alfredo Pando will face a recall vote soon. Pando protest against the signatures was rejected (his protest claimed that the petition was invalid because it didn't demand that a date be set for a recall election). This is another of the substantial compliance/"liberally construed" decisions in favor of a recall.