Switzerland: Geneva voters adopt recall law

Geneva voters approved a recall law, with 92% of the voters casting ballots in favor of the constitutional amendment. It seems that the law requires a vote of the cantonal parliament in order to go to the vote. It seems like it may only be used for corruption issues. Other cantons in Switzerland have had the recall since 1848, though it is different in each place and is rarely used. 

California: A look at recall reform proposals

Quite a bit late on this, but things get in the way. There's been a lot of discussion on recall reforming in the state, including Senate hearings. I co-wrote a detailed analysis with David Carrillo, the Executive Director of the California Constitution Center at UC Berkeley Law School on some possible reform proposals. I'm generally a fan of the Wisconsin/New Election model and quite opposed to the most consistent proposal -- the "automatic replacement."

Additionally, here a recall reform interview, here's another article by David Carrillo and Stephen Duvernay. Here's material on the Senate hearings here and here.

My Op-ed in the Hill on School Board Recalls

Lots of coverage in recent weeks over school board recalls, including quite a bit on the San Francisco School Board Recall, including some effort at separation from the other two targeted officials by board member Faauuga Moliga

I've written this op-ed in the Hill. I note that conventional wisdom coalesced around the idea that the Democrats were hit hard on Election Day due to school issues. But recalls tell a very different tale. So far, there have been 244 recall attempts against school board members in the US this year -- more than triple past years. Only 17 made the ballot and eight resigned. Of those 17, 15 officials survived the vote. All of those recalls focused on the pandemic protection procedures failed. 

California: Kevin Faulconer considering a run in 2022 for Governor

Here

Massachusetts: Southwick Selectman facing petitions

Southwick Selectman Russell Fox is facing a recall threat over a vote to allow a Carvana facility in town and claims of retaliation against volunteers who opposed the project. 

Update: No signatures were handed in.

Florida: Amendment proposed to expand recall law to include county officials

Florida Senator Joe Gruters (R) and Representative Jayer Williamson (R) are trying to get a constitutional amendment to expand Florida's recall law to include county officers. Currently only municipal and charter county officials face recalls (20 of 67 counties are under county charters). The recall would not hit state officers.

Massachusetts: Monterey Select Board member facing petitions

Monterey Select Board Member John Weingold is facing recall petitions seemingly over battling with other board members. Weingold is called "a law-and-order stickler" who leaves meetings over Open Meeting Law violations. He is also boycotting meetings until the chair steps down. There is also a battle over whether there was a violation of the law by scratching out a name on the petitions. 

Nebraska: Petition taken out against Papillion La Vista School Board member

Petitions have been taken out against Papillion La Vista Community School Board member Valerie Fisher, seemingly over her support for actions to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. She has been on the board for 22 years and won Nebraska's School Board member of the year award in 2019. Petitioners need 7229 signatures in 30 days to get on the ballot. The other board members are up for reelection next year.

Virginia: Signatures handed in against one Loudon School Board member; May face recall trial

Signatures were handed in against Loudon School Board Member Brenda Sheridan. They handed in 1850 and need 803. 

There were attempts against Atoosa Reeser, Beth Barts, Leslee King, Denise Corbo and Ian Serotkin, though King has since died and Barts resigned on November 2 after petitioners handed in signatures. Sheridan needed the smallest number of signatures of any of the members. The recall effort was supposed to be over complaints about alleged inappropriate reading materials in the school. The petitioners claim they are fighting against "Critical Race Theory." The recall petitions seem to have been focused on complaining about school closing to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Petitioners need between 850 to 11,600 signatures to get on the ballot. Loudon has faced discussions about recalls in recent years as Virginia is one of the most prominent states to move politically. Last year, Loudon County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall  is facing recall threats from the Young Republicans over her participation in a recent rally against police violence. The Young Republicans statement includes a reference to a violation of the 14th Amendment. 

If a recall got on the ballot, it would presumably covered by the state's Recall Trial law. The actual complaint seems to be an open meeting violation (the group joining a separate Facebook group). 

Kansas: Labette County Commissioner recall over windfarm scheduled for December 7

The recall against Labette County Commissioner Brian Kinzie has been scheduled for December 7. Petitioners handed in 1582 signatures and needed 1202. The recall is over his support for a windfarm. Kansas is a Malfeasance Standard state, so the recall was over complaints of open meeting act violations.

Arizona: Liberty School Board member resigns, other recall fails to get on the ballot

Thanks to Ballotpedia for this one -- From earlier in the year, but Liberty School Board members Suzanne McEvoy after petitions were taken out over her support for measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Petitioners also tried to recall Board member Mark Aguire, which did not get the signatures. 

California: More on Los Angeles Councilman recall

More on the Los Angeles Councilmember Mike Bonin recall including an LA Times editorial calling into question the need for it one month before his election. 

California: Los Angeles D.A. recall gains new steam over prisoner release

Here -- the individual was released six years into a 50-year sentence.

Missouri: Kansas City council recalls fail

The recall efforts against Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Councilmembers Brandon Ellington, Andrea Bough, Kevin O'Neill, Lee Barnes and Katheryn Shields have all failed, needing about 13,700 for each and reportedly gathering less than 4000.

An earlier effort to recall Councilman Eric Bunch over his statement in favor of cutting the police budget also failed. 

North Dakota: Recall effort against State Representative appears over due to redistricting law

The recall effort against North Dakota Representative Dwight Kiefert (R) seems to be over, due to a weird turn in the redistricting. The new redistricting law requires Kiefert to run in 2022 in a three incumbent race for two seats. North Dakota gives a one-year grace period at the end of the term, so a recall wouldn't be allowed.

Kiefert was facing petitions over his vote to remove Representative Luke Simons (R) over "his alleged inappropriate behavior, which included 'creepy comments to female legislators and staffers."

Petitioners needed 1764 signatures in one year to get the recall on the ballot. It is led by District 24 GOP Treasurer Shane Anderson. The local party (but not the state party) censured Kiefert over his vote, which they claimed he was owed due process. In disagreement was the rest of the legislature, which voted by more than two-thirds to kick Simons out.

Apparently, Kiefert is expecting recalls against other House Republicans who voted to kick Simons out. There is an unofficial "ultra-conservative Bastiat Caucus" in the legislature, which included Simons and former state Representative and local party chairman Dan Johnston. 

Michigan: Third petition attempt approved against three Alma commissioners

The third recall petitions against Alma Vice Mayor Roxann Herrington and Commissioners Nick Piccolo and Audra Stahl, has been approved. A judge overturned an Election Commission ruling approving holding that the language was not factually accurate (and the Election Commission rejected another). The recall is over a vote that will allow a former nursing home to be converted into a temporary shelter for young male refugees. Petitioners will now need to submit a revised petition.

Petitioners will need 745 signatures in 60 days.

Oregon: Newberg School Board members facing petitions over Superintendent firing

Newberg School Board members Dave Brown and Brian Shannon are facing petitions over the firing of the Superintendent. Petitioners claim that they have enough signatures for Shannon. 

Ohio: Hudson Mayor recall effort "paused"

The recall effort against Hudson Mayor Craig Shubert has been paused. The recall was after he called for school board members to resign or face criminal charges for allowing the book "642 Things to Write About" to be assigned. The claim is that the book has prompts that are child pornography, an argument that the county prosecutor has rejected. Three school board members were recently reelected. Petitioners would have needed 3095 signatures to get on the ballot.

Alaska: Petition language approved against a third Anchorage Assembly member

Petition language has been approved in another recall attempt against Anchorage Assembly Member Jamie Allard.  The recall efforts is over the same reasons that the recall elections against Assembly member Meg Zaletel and Assembly Chair Felix Rivera got on the ballot (both of them easily beat back the recalls): a meeting which, due to the size of the audience, violated the emergency order limiting crowds during the coronavirus pandemic (there may have been 17 people at the meeting, which had a limit of 15). Petitioners seem to be opposed to masking requirements. There is a fourth reason based on an odd open meeting violation (Allard replied to all Assembly members in an email).

Allard actually voted against the requirements but is still being targeted by the same group.

Petitioners needed 2530 signatures. 

Allard previously faced a recall effort that failed after she posted on Facebook defending vanity license plates with the words "fuhrer" and "3reich." Allard also alleged wrote that the words "are simply German words with no offensive connotation." She also said alleged wrote that "progressives have put a spin on it and created their own definition." 

Governor Mike Dunleavy has since removed Allard from the state's Human Rights Commission. 

Op-ed in the Hill on expanding the recall to the presidency

Here by Douglas Mackinnion -- not much chance of it passing.