It appears California Governor Gavin Newsom isn’t the only state-level chief executive who may be recalled on the basis of their pandemic performance.
Legal Insurrection has chronicled the harsh restrictions imposed by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on her citizens. We have also noted her hypocritical behaviors and double-standard application of rules to suit herself.
Now, in a two-fer, the Michigan Court of Appeals has affirmed the Board of State Canvasser’s approval of petitions calling for a recall of Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.
Whitmer had challenged the petitions, which call for her recall based on the executive orders she had issued during the COVID-19 pandemic.The court affirmed six of the cases but remanded one so that an error regarding the date on which an executive order was issued may be corrected.Whitmer and Gilchrist had argued that the challenged petitions did not “adequately describe the authorities cited as reasons for the recall.”For example, in one case the governor argues that a petition uses ambiguous language because of its use of the word “bars,” which dictionaries describe not only as a place that sells alcoholic beverages, but also a counter where food and beverages are served and other establishments that sell nonalcoholic drinks like coffee.
The court’s ruling upholds a previous decision made by the Michigan Board of Canvassers that the petitions were legit and could move forward. Nevertheless, she persisted.
A spokesperson for the Whitmer campaign commented: “We plan to appeal this disappointing decision and we fully intend to beat back these irresponsible partisan attacks against the Governor in the courts, on the streets or at the ballot.”Advertisement”This is part of a massive and coordinated attack by Republicans trying to make the Governor fail and our campaign will strenuously oppose these efforts so the Governor can keep saving lives, reopening our economy and creating jobs.”
The petition gatherers will have 60 days to collect over 1 million signatures in the next 60 days for the recall to proceed. The clock is ticking, and getting the recall on the ballot appears to be a tall order.
The deadline has already passed to get a recall petition on the August ballot, but the deadline to get it on November 2021 ballots is July 30.That’s also essentially the deadline for any of those petitions to go through, as the 2012 law does not allow governors to be recalled during the last year of their term, which would be 2022 for Governor Whitmer.
If the recall effort can Whitmer to ease senseless pandemic policies, then I will call it a win. Here’s hoping that Michiganders can get this matter onto the ballot.
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