South Dakota: Bill proposed to allow school board recalls

South Dakota has proposed a bill to require school board members throughout the state to face potential recalls. This version is a modified malfeasance standard, as it includes "oppression" and "gross partiality." Petitioners would need 15% of registered voters. Senate Bill 96 has been introduced by conservative members who are focused on school board issues.

Canada: Petitions taken out against British Columbia MLA

MLA Dan Davies (Peace River North) is facing petitions over claims of being absent and failing to notify constituents. Petitioners would need 10,487 signatures by April 4. 

Update: The petition effort failed.

North Carolina: Oak Island Town Council members facing petitions

Oak Island Town Council members John Bach, Mark Martin, Sheila Bell and Charlie Blalock are facing recall threats over a plan to improve paid beach parking. Petitioners need 2050 signatures by February 27 (25% of registered voters)

Wisconsin: Petitions taken out against Sparta School Board members

Petitions have been taken out against Sparta School District Board Members Nancy Sikorski and Eric Soldberg over their vote to reinstate a mask mandate to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Massachusetts: Winthrop Town Council considers adopting recall provision

Winthrop Town Council is debating potential charter/ordinance changes including adding in a recall provision.

Florida: State Representative sponsors bill for expansion of recall to all county commissioners

Florida State Representative Dr. Joel Rudman (R) is proposing a recall of county commissioner law for the State. This is the third year that he has sponsored the bill (House Bill 209). The bill would expand the recall to 47 of 67 counties. 

There is some discussion that the law could target supervisors of elections, though supporters denied that.

Some good background on the state's recall law (which does not allow for state legislative recalls). In 1968, a law passed that allowed 20 chartered counties and the Jacksonville/Duvall County (a municipal county) to allow recalls of county officials. These recalls require a malfeasance standard/judicial recall showing of cause. Florida does have political recalls in some local jurisdictions. 

There have been similar bills introduced in 2021 and 2022. A Senate bill in 2022 sponsored by State Senator Joe Gruetens would have allowed recalls of all county constitutional officers. 

Update: The bill has been dropped.

Update 2: Seems that the bill has been reported out of committee. Seems to still have some committees to pass before it gets through.

Texas: Denton City Council member recall makes the May ballot, potentially setting up reelection/recall on same ballot

It seems signatures have been validated in the recall effort against Denton City Council member Jesse Davis. The article said that the council will vote on holding the election in May.

The recall seems to be a reaction to the removal of Councilmember Alison Maguire in November (Maguire's attorney is a volunteer representing the petitioners).

Petitioners needed 254 valid signatures to get on the May ballot. However, Davis' two-year term ends in May and he is already seeking reelection on that same election, so he would just lose office for a brief time (though presumably, this would help in an attempt to defeat the reelection run). 

Ohio: Cleveland Councilwoman Recall effort fails after signatures rejected

A recall effort against Cleveland Councilmember Stephanie Howse failed, seemingly with no signatures handed in. Former Councilmember, Basheer Jones, who faced a recall effort in 2018, was tied to the recall. The recall seemed to be over a cut in funding for specific nonprofits.

Petitioners handed in 641 signatures and needed 535. They got only 165. 

UK: Labour Party member suggests full recall law for parliament

A Labour Party MP Richard Burgon (and former Shadow Minister has proposed a new bill allowing for voters to recall the entire parliament with a new general election. Under the proposal, at least half the total voters in the last election need to sign, and the recall can only take place after a long grace period (at least halfway through the 5 year term).

Iowa: Proposed Constitutional Amendment adopting recall passes subcommittee

Iowa is now looking at a proposed Constitutional Amendment adopting the recall for all officials (it has passed a subcommittee). The proposed law would require 25% of turnout for the governor's race in that district to get on the ballot and would include a one-year grace period. They would use a special election model (ala Wisconsin), with a new race for the office. The targeted official would be included in the race. It looks like Senator Cherielynn Westrich (R) is the prime backer. The amendment needs to pass a second legislative session in 2025 or 2026 before being voted on by the voters. 

Georgia: Lula Mayor and Councilmember facing recall threats

Lula Mayor Joe Thomas and Councilmember Gene Bramlett are facing recall threats over claims of intimidation and retaliation. City officials have been hit with two investigations in the last six months.

Colorado: Signatures validated against four Walsenburg Councilmembers

The recall effort against Walsenburg Councilmembers Greg Daniels, Veronica Maes, Nick Vigil and Carmen Lara has gotten on the ballot. 

The efforts against Mayor Charles Bryant and two other council members, Ricky Jennings and Don Martinez, failed to make the ballot.

Daniels got 102 signatures, 95 valid (needed 75). Maes got 91-84-75, Ward, 97-89-75, and Vigil 92-84-75. 

Only 52 signatures were turned in for Bryant (they needed 231) and 15 against Jennings (needed 78) and 29 against Martinez (78 needed). 

There is still a recall efforts against Bryant, which Daniels Lara and Vigil are both a part of. We'll see what happens. 

The issue seems to be an internal battle in the government and the mayor has encouraged the recall effort against what he calls a "culture of corruption" saying they need a "hard reset." Apparently, the mayor and  Jennings (who is mayor pro tem) are on one side of the aisle. 

Kansas: Goddard Mayor facing petitions

Goddard Mayor Hunter Larkin is facing petitions after managing to pull off a "coup" and get himself put back in as mayor, and then fire the City Administrator. 

Larkin was previously mayor, but left the job after a DUI and to run for the legislature. However, he retained his city council seat. This week, he and all of the other councilmembers voted to remove the current Mayor and (after further machinations), Larkin replaced him. 

A candidate who was nominated to fill a City Council vacancy has started the recall campaign.

Louisiana: Petitioners need at least 15K signatures for New Orleans Mayor recall

Petitioners now claim they are 15,000 signatures short of the 53,353 valid signatures needed to get the recall of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell on the ballot. Cantrell has faced complaints about a failure to put New Orleans first as well as recent revelations over her travel expenses, including a $17,000 flight to Paris. Petitioners need 53,353 signatures (20% of registered voters). Petitioners have 180 days (late February) to get the signatures.

California: Was the Davis recall the start of a new California leadership model?

A look back and forward from Joe Mathews on the impact of the 2003 recall and the growth of the idea of the Governor as a global trendsetter.

North Dakota: Petition language approved against Bismarck School Board member

Petition language has been approved against Bismarck School Board Member Emily Eckroth over a confrontation with police during a DUI traffic stop (she cursed out the police and urinated in the back seat of the patrol vehicle). Her husband, who lost a legislative primary, was stopped (but not charged). She pled guilty to a misdemeanor. The school board has already voted to censure her. Petitioners need 2709 signatures in 90 days to get to the ballot.

Ohio: Three petitions out in East Cleveland following last year's recall effort

East Cleveland Council President Korean Stevenson and Councilmembers Juanita Gowdy and Patricia Blochowiak are facing recall efforts over the complaints about council appointments and the city budget. This fight seems to arise out of last year's recall and replacement battle. 

Former Councilmember Che Gadison is one of the petitioners.

California: Paso Robles School Board member facing petitions

Paso Robles School Board member Joel Peterson is facing a recall effort over complaints about how he was appointed. The previous board member, Kenney Enney, was removed over similar appointment complaints. 

Virginia: Portsmouth Council members recall claims 5000 signatures

Petitioners claim they have 5000 signatures for the recall effort against Portsmouth Vice Mayor De'Andre Barnes and Councilmember Mark Whitaker over a vote to fire the city manager and replace her with the former police chief.

This article notes that petitioners need 30% of turnout (which would be 9032), though a previous piece noted that needed 10%.

Virginia: City Council kills effort in Portsmouth to create Malfeasance Standard to limit recalls

The attempt to change Portsmouth's recall law has been stopped by a new supermajority of the city council.

There was a push last year to change the Portsmouth's recall law, which would have created a malfeasance standard/judicial recall law, requiring specific statutorily delineated grounds (approved by a judge) for the recall to move forward. 

The previous effort was killed in the House of Delegates, with Delegate Tim Anderson (R), who supported a recall effort against Senate President Pro Temp Louise Lucas (D) last year, credited with stopping the proposed law.

At the time of the effort, there was a new recall effort against Portsmouth Vice Mayor De'Andre Barnes and Councilmember Mark Whitaker over a vote to fire the city manager and replace her with the former police chief.

Portsmouth is the site of the first (that I know of) two-time recall loser, Mayor James Holley (in 1987 and 2010) and a failed effort against Mayor Kenny Wright in 2016.