Group organizing for recall state officials ballot measure. Mark this down in the dumb idea column.
Mark this down in the dumb idea column.
There’s a “subscribers only” article in the Argus this morning about a group organizing to bring a new ballot measure that would create a mechanism to add legislators and state officials to those elected officials who could be recalled from office by popular vote.
The challenge they face is that the proposal is a solution in search of a problem. that no one is asking for.
While Reistroffer, a registered Republican, is best known for his pro-marijuana advocacy at the Capitol, he says his effort to get the question of recalls on the ballot isn’t about a single-issue. Rather, it’s about adding another layer of accountability to the South Dakota government.
He admits he was inspired to look into options about forcing the removal of elected officials from office after lawmakers and the governor enacted plans to delay implementation of a medical marijuana program. But he said recall elections could be used in response to any issue where voters and their elected leaders do not see eye-to-eye.
“recall elections could be used in response to any issue where voters and their elected leaders do not see eye-to-eye?”
Well, we have that mechanism now. And one of the more significant challenges in proposing a dumb idea like this is that if you go and look, you’re not going to find an example of the existing recall law in effect being used successfully in the last decade.
Seriously. I made a list:
South Dakota Recall Elections 2011-2021:
- Dave McGirr recall, Huron, South Dakota (2011) (Came up short on Signatures)
- Deb Schmidt recall, Whitewood, South Dakota (2011) (retained with 59% of vote)
- Carl Shaw recall, Edgemont, South Dakota (2014) (Petitions rejected, and lacked reason for recall)
- Bill Campbell recall, Hartford, South Dakota (2015) (Recall petitions failed under state law.)
- Harold Gray recall, Nisland, South Dakota (2017) (The town board was unable to accept the petition, as some were petitioning against other board members)
- Jerry Toomey recall, Mitchell, South Dakota (2017) (Group failed to submit signatures for the recall effort within the 60-day window allowed by law)
One municipal recall effort in the last decade that actually went to a vote, and they decided they liked their mayor after all by 59%.
Not exactly a bell ringer of an idea that people are pounding on the door to expand on.
Nevermind when it comes to state legislators, by the time you can possibly get around to recalling them after they take an action you’re literally on top of the next election cycle where they could run again.
Is someone angsty against our federal delegation because they may have acted like statesmen in Washington? Too bad.. a law of this nature isn’t going to apply to federally elected officials. And if someone may have acted criminally, as we are finding out, there are mechanisms that can and will be used and everything will be done and handled in the light of day.
But as for laws that aren’t used now, that no one is asking for an expansion of? We have enough government now.
Hard pass.