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GOP says high costs were unnecessary
State Republican lawmakers have characterized these huge expenditures as a waste of resources. And state Rep. Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee) was so distressed by the time and money spent that he is proposing a constitutional amendment to reform the recall process.Farrow said recalls should be held for a specific reason, such as being found guilty of a misdemeanor carrying a one-year jail sentence or a breach of the Legislature’s code of ethics. Eight other states require misconduct or breach of ethics as a reason to recall.
“This amendment will allow Wisconsinites the opportunity to protect the integrity of our regular election system,” said Farrow, whose district includes part of Brookfield and Sussex. “Furthermore, by requiring that just cause be shown when attempting the recall of an elected official, the amendment will ensure that recall elections remain rare - rather than on a cycle of constant repeat.”
The other current requirements for a recall - obtaining 25 percent of the votes cast in a district during the most recent gubernatorial election and only recalling those who have served at least one year in office - would remain in place.
“My view is that recalls should be reserved for true breaches of trust or misconduct,” Farrow said. “The most recent recalls were being used for political issues. In November (2010), the majority of voters swung control of the Legislature. The minority didn’t like it and they wanted to change that.”
He likened the current recall process as a way for the minority to squelch the voice of the majority of Wisconsin voters.
Farrow and state Reps. Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Gary Tauchen (R-Bonduel) began circulating the amendment on Tuesday to find co-sponsors. As of Friday, no others have signed on, but state Sen. Alberta Darling expressed interest in the idea, especially the “for cause” requirement
Full Story here: http://shorewood.patch.com/articles/gop-lawmakers-pushing-to-make-it-tougher-to-mount-recalls
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