Eye on Lansing: Longshot recall attempts target lawmakers; Recall efforts can divert legislators' attention and resources

By Tim Martin Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- It's been nearly three decades since a recall effort targeting a Michigan state lawmaker has been successful. That doesn't stop political opponents from trying to beat long odds and chase some incumbents out of office before the end of their terms. Roughly a dozen state-level Michigan Republicans, including Gov. Rick Snyder, have been targeted for possible recall this year, less than six months into their terms. The reasons vary but among those often cited by recall organizers are a new state law giving more power to state-appointed emergency managers, funding cuts to public education and tax policy changes including a business tax reduction and the ending of some tax exemptions on retiree income. All of the recall attempts started this year are in the early stages and are far from making the ballot. "They pushed the buttons," said Dennis Perry, the supervisor of Gladwin County's Hay Township and a Democrat pursuing recalls against state Sen. John Moolenaar of Midland and state Rep. Joel Johnson of Clare. "I don't think that we can afford to wait for another election to come up." The initial recall petition wording proposed against Moolenaar and Johnson was deemed unclear by elections officials, but Perry expects to file revised language against the lawmakers. Recall targets say they're staying focused on their jobs and doing what the majority of voters elected them to do. "Individuals have the constitutional right to pursue that," Moolenaar, a first-term Republican senator and former member of the state House, said of the recall effort. "I'm focusing on the work of the budget and helping our state become more competitive economically. There will always be differences of opinion in politics. So I accept that, but believe I have been elected to use the best judgment and make the contribution that people elected me to make." Recall efforts can divert time and resources that targeted lawmakers would rather use on other initiatives. If recall attempts get serious and progress toward the ballot, lawmakers typically will take more significant steps to protect themselves. In 2008, some business and special interest groups wrote letters and donated money to help lawmakers from both parties stave off recall attempts started because of their support for tax increases. Sitting lawmakers have historical odds on their side. The last successful recall was in 1983, when two Democratic senators from southeast Michigan were voted out of office for their votes on an income tax proposal. It's rare that a recall attempt even makes it to the ballot. The last lawmaker to face that challenge, former Democratic House speaker and current state Treasurer Andy Dillon, defeated the proposal at the polls in 2008 and also won re-election. This year's legislative targets include state Rep. Al Pscholka, a Republican from Stevensville. He's targeted because he sponsored a new law that gives emergency managers appointed to help financially struggling cities and schools the authority to strip power from elected local officials and toss out union contracts. An election board has approved the recall petition wording, and now opponents of Pscholka must collect more than 6,700 valid voter signatures for the effort to make the ballot. For GOP state Sen. Mike Nofs of Battle Creek, recall supporters will have to collect nearly 18,700 valid voter signatures for it to make the ballot. The amounts required vary by district and are based on the number of voters in previous elections. In most of the other recall efforts, organizers either had their first attempts at petition language rejected or are awaiting so-called clarity hearings with election boards. Targets as of early June included House Speaker Jase Bolger of Marshall and House members Kurt Damrow of Port Austin and Nancy Jenkins of Clayton. Other senators that face possible recall threats include Tom Casperson of Escanaba, Judy Emmons of Sheridan, Mike Green of Mayville and Howard Walker of Traverse City. Recall language was filed but later withdrawn against Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker of Van Buren County's Antwerp Township. Wording of a recall petition targeting Snyder has been approved in Washtenaw County but recall supporters must collect 806,522 valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot. Nationally, only two governors have ever been recalled -- California Gov. Gray Davis in 2003 and North Dakota Gov. Lynn Frazier in 1921. Nineteen states permit the recalls of state officials, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The most activity this year has come in Wisconsin, where six Republican state senators are likely to face recall elections in the summer and other lawmakers, including some Democrats, may be added to the lineup. Specific grounds for recall -- such as the commission of a felony, ethics violations or incompetence -- are required in only eight states. In many of the others, including Michigan, a lawmaker can be targeted for recall simply because an opponent disagrees with a lawmaker's politics. That makes facing a possible recall attempt an occupational hazard for many lawmakers who feel they are just following through on campaign pledges once elected to office. "If they want to file a recall petition, obviously that's their right," Nofs said. "It's their prerogative to do that, but I'm just doing what I said I was going to do." Published: Tue, Jun 7, 2011