Michigan: Belding City council member facing November 4 recall

Belding City Council member Joe Feuerstein is facing two candidates in his upcoming recall, Dennis Cooper and John LaClear.

California: San Diego City Council revamps recall law

San Diego City Council approved numerous changes to the recall law that will revamp their troubled provisions:

• The amount of time to collect signatures was doubled from 60 to 120 days.

 • A supplemental period in which recall proponents could gather more signatures, if they didn't have enough when the petitions were filed, was removed.

 • The time given to the city to schedule an election, if the recall qualifies, was increased to 180 days. 

• A recall drive registered with the City Clerk's Office will require five proponents who live in, or vote in, San Diego.

 • Recall efforts will not be allowed against an elected official whose term is scheduled to end within six months.

New Jersey: Proposed legislation would subject LG to recall law

Here

California: Salinas School Board recall hands in signatures

Petitioners have handed in 2,621 signatures to recall Salinas school board member Janet Barnes, 329 more than needed. Petitioners used a professional signature gatherers ($3-$5 each signature). The issue was the reassignment of a principal. The election is scheduled to cost between $129,668 and $185,240.

Michigan: Tuscarora Township chief deputy clerk appointed to run recall

The county clerk is facing a recall, hence the appointment.

California: My Op-ed on Proposition O

Here's an op-ed for the Berkeleyside website on Proposition O, which changes the recall law.

Nebraska: Petitioner drops recall attempt against Fremont mayor, council members

The recall petitions against Mayor Scott Getzschman and City Council members Larry Johnson and Michael Kuhns have been droped, though the petitioner said he will retry in better weather. 

The issue was the three officials' support for a failed special election which would repeal the housing portion of the city's illegal immigrant ordinance (the vote against was 3,896-2,644).

California: Recall attempt against San Marino Councilman in "poopgate" fails

The recall of City Councilman Dennis Kneier failed, with petitioners not handing in signatures. Kneier was the former mayor who threw dog poop on his neighbor's lawn. Petitioners needed 2,143 signatures to get this one the ballot.

Massachusetts:Trial to stop Fall River mayoral recall starts

Here

California: Rialto School board recall fails

The recall attempt against two Rialto Unified school board members, Joe Ayala and Joseph Martinez, failed with petitioners unable to get enough signatures. The issue was the support of a former superintendent. Petitioners needed 9,450 signatures, and claimed to have got within a few thousands.\ The recall was started before the bizarre Holocaust denying essay.

Colorado: Recall winner well behind in funds a week before the election

George Rivera, who won the seat that Angela Giron lost, is well behind in funds a week before the election. Let's see what happens.

Michigan: Chicken Coop in Tawas leads to two recall petitions

City Council Member Dave Dickman is facing petitions pushed by former Mayor Kane Kelly, who is claiming that Dickman was one of the council members who forced him to resign. Kelly is also pushing for the recall of Councilwoman Janel Walmsley starting in January. The issue that started the battle is an attempt to arrest residents who kept a small amount of chickens on their property. The council pushed Kelly to resign after Kelly got involved in the case. Kelly tried to rescind the resignation, but that was rejected.

Kelly will need to resubmit the petition, as there were grammatical errors and a lack of clarity.

Texas: Laredo councilman facing recall over drug possession cancels appearance

Here

Massachusetts: Four Sagus Selectmen facing petitions over town manager suspension

Saugus Selectmen Chairman Ellen Faiella, Vice Chairman Maureen Dever and selectmen Stephen Castinetti and Paul Alla are also facing petitions following the suspension of the town manager. Petitioners need 4,420 signatures (25% of registereds). However, people can sign for all the candidates, so it is not a district-based issue.

Michigan: Winners of 2014 New Haven recall facing the voters in November

Interesting piece looking at the possible fallout from the 2014 recall.

Alaska: Wrangell physician, who was suspended by recalled hospital board and then reinstated, charged with child porn possession

A Wrangell physician and Chief of Staff of the Wrangell Medical Center was charged with possession of child pornography. What makes this interesting is that the previous Wrangell Board oted to strip the doctor of his medical privileges. But the eight of nine members of the board were kicked out in 2012. The physician was reinstated by the new board and hospital head, and later made Chief of Staff.

California: Big Money in the Moreno Valley council recall race

Moreno Valley Councilwoman Victoria Baca is receiving big money from a developer of a proposed 41.6 millon square foot mega warehouse. Highland Fairview has given $150,000 to fight the Baca recall (and another $207,000 for other local candidates). The company had previously tossed in nearly $300,000 against the recall of Baca and Mayor Tom Owings, who was kicked out in a June recall. The $357,000 given for this election is more than three times the total raised by all 18 council candidates and Baca.

Missouri: Columbia Councilwoman facing petitions after switched position kills marijuana decriminalization bill

Columbia Councilwoman Ginny Chadwick is facing petitions over her vote against a marijuana decriminalization bill (the bill would have allowed people to grow two plants). The bill went down, 4-3. Chadwick had stated that she would support the bill during a candidate forum in March, before she was elected.

Oddly, Chadwick had amended the bill moments before the failed vote to limit the decriminalization to people 21 and older (which passed 4-3). 

Petitioners would need 249 signatures (30% of turnout).

Michigan: Statement by Benton Harbor recall petitioner charged with electoral fraud

Here

Michigan: Pulaski Township rematch on the ballot in November

Pulaski Township Supervisor Robert Jones is facing off against the candidate he beat in 2012, David White. White had to file four petitions to get the recall language approved. The issue was the firing of the fire chief. Jones, a Democrats, beat White, a Republican, 476-402. They'll rematch this November.