In this op-ed, I look at the use of recalls against wind and solar developments. Over the last five years, 41 officials in eight different states face recalls over their support for renewable energy projects. Four officials in two Michigan townships will be on the ballot over wind farms on Election Day.
Of these, 14 officials have actually faced a vote since 2018. Eight have been removed, six have survived.
Redondo Beach City Councilmember Zein Obagi Jr. has survived a recall vote, with 72% rejecting the recall vote (872-2222), Turnout was the highest for a special since 2007.
The recall seems to be about a push to increase the number of cannabis dispensaries, and an initiative was taken on the same day for an increase (that lost by 75%). The parent company of Catalyst Cannabis Co. is reported to have spent $309,188 on the recall.
However, petitioners claimed the recall was about his support for affordable housing and a homeless pallet shelter in his district, as well as claims of misconduct by the state bar. There was also a claim that Obagi wanted to disband the fire department. Petitioners got 2452 valids and needed about 2250.
The special is supposed to cost $270,000 (or $240,000 if explanatory text is online only). If it was on the general election day, it was set to cost $37,000.
A look at the upcoming San Francisco School Board election, where former School board member Gabriela Lopez, who was ousted as the San Francisco School Board President in the February recall, is running for a seat on the board in the November elections.
Petitions have been taken out against Los Angeles City councilmember Kevin de Leon is facing calls for a resignation or a potential recall. This is after City Council President Nury Martinez already resigned due to the revelations of her racist comments regarding redistricting. No word on a recall against the third council member, Gil Cedillo.
Notably, Pamela Adkins, one of the petitions has filed three previous recall attempts against de Leon in July 2021 and May 2022 (over homeless issues). The article notes that Adkins would be pushing from the right, while the current criticism is from the left.
Petitioners would need 21,006 signatures to get to the ballot.
The recall effort against Adams Township Supervisor Mark Nichols and Clerk Stephanie Scott (R) has made the ballot, with a recall set for May 2, 2023 (must be a primary day). Scott is accused of removing an tabulation from an election device, which has led to a State Police investigation. She was then banned from running the 2021 election by the Secretary of State. Nichols voted against spending $5,500 for a new ballot tabulator and publicly supported Scott's actions.
343 signatures were handed in, with 316 validated. They needed 264.
Nichols won office in 2018 in a recall and survived one a year later.
An interesting poll looking at how voters who backed the recall were surprised by the outcome, primarily because they greatly underestimate the size of the Democratic majority in the state.
Washington, DC Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Amber Gove has survived a recall vote, 344-108 (with 16 special ballots outstanding). The article notes that there were far more signatures on the petition (206) than votes to remove
The recall was over complaints about a street being converted to one way traffic and the creation of a bike lane.
Signatures were handed in against two Coos Bay Hospital Board of Directors Members, Chair Dr. Thomas McAndrew and Secretary Dr. Donna Rabin. In an odd twist, petitioners also targeted four other members, Mark Sheldon, Barbara Taylor, Troy Cribbins and Carma Erickson-Hurt, but claim that 2400 signature sheets were stolen from their campaign office.
The recall is backed by two labor unions, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 and the Oregon Nurses Association. The two unions have reportedly spent $85,000 for the recall effort.
Petitioners claim that the recall is over hiring a senior executive who was a convicted embezzler and a board decision to shut an acute psychiatric unit (the decision was later reversed). The unions are in the middle of contract renewal negotiations.
Newton Falls will be voting on charter amendment which will set a 90 day time limit on recall petitions and also require recall elections to be timed with the next general or primary election. Newton Falls had a protracted legal fight over a recall in 2021.
Redondo Beach City Councilmember Zein Obagi Jr. appears to have easily defeat the recall, with 75% voting against it in early returns, One of the issues against him is a claim that he wants to disband the fire department and contract out with LA (Obagi denies this).
The parent company of Catalyst Cannabis Co. is reported to have spent $309,188 on the recall taking place on October 19, which will also be the same day as a cannabis initiative.
The recall was claimed to be about his support for affordable housing and a homeless pallet shelter in his district, as well as claims of misconduct by the state bar, though Cannabis is clear the big issue, with the leaders pushing to open dispensaries in the city backing the recall ( Petitioners got 2452 valids and needed about 2250.
The special is supposed to cost $270,000 (or $240,000 if explanatory text is online only). If it is on the general election day, it was set to cost $37,000
The Colorado Supreme Court upheld a District Court judge ruling that has put on hold the recall effort against Colorado State Senator Kevin Priola, who switched from Republican to Democrat, saying that petitions cannot go out until January 9 (when the Priola is sworn in). The recall effort had received the green light from the Secretary of State.
The issue is a complicated question of which district the recall should take place. The Secretary of State previously announced that any recall effort against Priola would take place in the 13th district, his new, more Republican district (4% GOP lean), rather than the 25th, which is evenly split. The change was due to regular redistricting.
Petitioners would need 18,291 signatures in 60 days.
The Senate is Democratic (21-14) and Priola is term-limited. He barely won office in 2020, 50.84-49.16. Priola switched parties due to his opposition to Republican election denial and conspiracy theories. In addition to his switch, petitioners are also citing his vote for road-use fees and a bill to make most drug possessions a misdemeanor, as well as drug injection sites in Denver.
Republicans leaned heavily into recalls after their disastrous showings in 2018, though to no effect (none got on the ballot). Colorado did have two recalls which led to the removal of two Democratic Senators in 2013 over gun control laws.
Voters have used the recall against party flippers twice in the past (arguably three times). In 1995, California Assemblyman Paul Horcher was ousted over moving from Republican to Independent and voting for Willie Brown for Speaker. Assemblywoman Doris Allen also moved from the Republicans in the same year and had herself elected Speaker, which led to her ouster. While seen as a betrayal, I don't believe she actually left the party. And in 1981, Washington State Senator Peter Von Reichbauer switched from Democrat to Republican, which flipped control of the chamber. Von Reichbauer survived the recall vote.
Labour MP Christian Mathewson resigned over claims of sexual misconduct. A panel recommended a four-week suspension, which could have led to a recall effort.
Los Angeles City councilmember Kevin de Leon is facing calls for a resignation or a potential recall. This is after City Council President Nury Martinez already resigned due to the revelations of her racist comments regarding redistricting. de Leon and Gil Cedillo are under fire as well, with discussion of potential recalls.
A recall appears to be taking place against Shyne Barrow, the leader of the UDP.
Petitioners appear to have handed in enough signatures against Morrow County Commissioners Jim Doherty and Melissa Lindsay to get on the ballot. The recall would take place before the end of the year. Petitioners handed in 657 for Lindsay and 648 for Doherty. They needed 564 valid signature.
The recall seems to be about the firing of a county administrators (who is now suing the county for wrongful termination).
Newport News is looking into amending its charter to add a recall option for city council members. Mayor McKinley Price is in favor of the recall law. The state legislature would need to approve it.
Petitions would need 25% of turnout (at least 300 signatures for each district and 1000 for the mayor). There would also be a one year grace period.
In 2019, Newport News Vice Mayor Tina Vick faced recall threats, though it seems not to have any legal backing to it.
City Council President Nury Martinez has already resigned due to the revelations of her racist comments regarding redistricting, and now Councilmembers Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo are under fire as well, with discussion of potential recalls.
A District Court judge has put on hold the recall effort against Colorado State Senator Kevin Priola, who switched from Republican to Democrat, saying that petitions cannot go out until January 9 (when the Priola is sworn in). The recall effort had received the green light from the Secretary of State.
The issue is a complicated question of which district the recall should take place. The Secretary of State previously announced that any recall effort against Priola would take place in the 13th district, his new, more Republican district (4% GOP lean), rather than the 25th, which is evenly split. The change was due to regular redistricting.
Petitioners would need 18,291 signatures in 60 days.
The Senate is Democratic (21-14) and Priola is term-limited. He barely won office in 2020, 50.84-49.16. Priola switched parties due to his opposition to Republican election denial and conspiracy theories. In addition to his switch, petitioners are also citing his vote for road-use fees and a bill to make most drug possessions a misdemeanor, as well as drug injection sites in Denver.
Republicans leaned heavily into recalls after their disastrous showings in 2018, though to no effect (none got on the ballot). Colorado did have two recalls which led to the removal of two Democratic Senators in 2013 over gun control laws.
Voters have used the recall against party flippers twice in the past (arguably three times). In 1995, California Assemblyman Paul Horcher was ousted over moving from Republican to Independent and voting for Willie Brown for Speaker. Assemblywoman Doris Allen also moved from the Republicans in the same year and had herself elected Speaker, which led to her ouster. While seen as a betrayal, I don't believe she actually left the party. And in 1981, Washington State Senator Peter Von Reichbauer switched from Democrat to Republican, which flipped control of the chamber. Von Reichbauer survived the recall vote.
Proponents of the recall against Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, which missed the ballot by 46,000 signatures, are now suing the registrar claiming that the signatures were thrown out under improper invalidation methods.
They seem to focus on non-matching signatures, thought that was only a small part of the invalidation (9,490). They are also focused on the not registered totals, which is the vast majority of the rejected signatures (though it is in-line with the failure rate of other recalls).
The petitioners are also arguing that voter rolls were inflated, so the 566,857 needed signatures were higher than needed. We discussed this a little with the cancelled signature category.
The Appellate Court ruling rejecting the recall of Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard is now out, and it seems to throw out the entire recall law as well.
The judges went beyond the earlier lower court ruling (the recall law was adopted in the same election as the recall vote took place; the lower court held that the law had to be adopted first). The court held that Illinois law "does not provide for recall of village officials...." though it does allow it for other officials.
Henyard, who lost the June 28 recall vote, 1953-1532, opened the next meeting with the disco song "Ain't No Stopping Us Now."
In the ruling which was upheld, a Cook County Circuit Court Judge ordered the clerk to not count the vote in two recall ballot measures (one asks for a recall law -- which succeeded 1948-1506 -- the other calls for Henyard to face a recall vote immediately).
The recall does not seem to have signatures handed in, but was rather put on the ballot by the village board.
Henyard faced a previous recall effort when she served as trustee, leading to an appellate court decision that the board cannot remove the official by a board vote but can have a recall.
The recall is over a slew of complaints: taking a Township Supervisor job that pays $250,000 which seen as a conflict of interest; keeping the board from meeting, paying bills and refusing to show what is being paid, as well as hiring a code enforcement officer who spent 24 years in prison for kidnapping and sexual assault.
