Politics & Government

State Sen. Carpenter Suggests Recall Process be Reviewed

Carpenter believes the rules governing recalls need to be updated.

Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milw.) submitted a request to the Joint Legislative Council asking for a study committee to review Wisconsin’s statutes governing recall elections and to recommend any necessary updates.

“The unprecedented recall elections of the past year have raised questions whether the rules governing recalls are up to date and adequate for the job," Carpenter said in the release. "We should review whether the recall election experiences of 2011 and 2012 can provide guidance for revision of the statutes."

The Joint Legislative Council establishes study committees to examine major issues and problems identified by the Legislature. The study committees appointed by the Council are made up of legislators and citizens who are interested in or knowledgeable about the study topic.

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Carpenter suggested the Legislative Council study committee ask:

  • Should circulators of a recall petition reside in Wisconsin? 
  • Should there be a limit on contributions to an elected official before a recall is certified? 
  • Should giving something of value for signing a petition be prohibited? 
  • Should recall petitions be ? 
  • Should the GAB be required to ? 
  • Should party affiliation be required in a primary election?
  • Should the threshold number of signatures to hold a recall be changed? 

“I believe that reviewing our recall laws in a bipartisan fashion – such as a study committee – will ensure the voters that changes will be made with the goal of making recalls in Wisconsin as fair and accurate as possible," Carpenter said. "Let’s do this right."

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