Here is another way the Democrats want to end democracy. Over 100 years ago Gov. Hiram Johnson gave us the right to Recall corrupt and stupid elected officials. In 2003 we Recalled Gray Davis as Governor. Since then the Democrats have been working to end the Recall. SB 1441 will go a long way to technically keep the Recall, but make it so expensive that it could never be used.
“Lineberger also raised concerns about the 60-day threshold included in the bill, purportedly designed to align with the county’s timeframe for identifying invalid signatures during a regular election. However, he points out the disparity between the resources available to the registrar’s office and those of the recall campaign. While the registrar’s office completed its review within 60 days with the assistance of 400 temporary workers, the recall campaign operated under constraints, employing only 14 representatives working three days a week on seven computers.
Additionally, Cathleen Cady, a participant in the review process, criticized the bill’s provision that places the full financial responsibility for reviewing records on the recall petitioner, stating, “The introduction of a state law provision enabling an election official to impose a potentially significant and largely prohibitive fee for a proponent to access the ballot constitutes an attack on democracy.”
Just another way the Democrats will use to end the rights of voters. Democracy? Not on their watch.
LA County-Sponsored Bill, Scheduled for Hearing Today, Threatens Recall Election Dynamics in California
Barry Cassily, Westside Current, 4/2/24 https://www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/la-county-sponsored-bill-scheduled-for-hearing-today-threatens-recall-election-dynamics-in-california/article_c8177c76-f105-11ee-953b-6f707a0a7a99.html?utm_source=westsidecurrent.com&utm_campaign=%2Felections%2Fla-county-sponsored-bill-scheduled-for-hearing-today-threatens-recall-election-dynamics-in-california%2Farticle-c8177c76-f105-11ee-953b-6f707a0a7a99.html%3Fmode%3Demail%26-dc%3D1712072522&utm_medium=auto%20alert%20email&utm_content=read%20more
SACRAMENTO — A bill that could reshape the landscape of recall elections, potentially making it difficult and financially burdensome for recall proponents to review and challenge invalidated ballots, is slated for a hearing today in Sacramento. Senate Bill 1441 (SB 144), sponsored by Los Angeles County, was introduced by Senator Ben Allen, representing the 24th Senate District, which encompasses a significant portion of Los Angeles’ Westside.
Senator Allen’s office published a summary of the proposed SB 1441, shedding light on the often prolonged and expensive nature of recall campaigns. The bill underscores the extensive 14-month review period and the significant $1.5 million expenditure incurred by Los Angeles County during the George Gascon recall campaign.
However, proponents of the recall assert that the review delays and escalated costs of the Gascon recall resulted mainly from restrictions the county placed on the process and “outright obstruction by LA County Registrar Dean C. Logan’s office.”
The group said they had to sue the County for substantial access to recall records and to force the County to reconsider the restrictive conditions imposed on record reviews, a move they say extended the recall process unnecessarily.
One significant factor contributing to the delay was a dispute over valid signatures. The Gascon recall campaign had amassed a total of 715,833 signatures, surpassing the required number to recall Gascon by 148,976. However, the registrar’s office rejected 195,758 signatures and subsequently invalidated the recall effort.
The Campaign to Recall George Gascon questioned the large number of rejected signatures and moved to exercise their constitutional right to review the rolls of rejected votes.
Tim Lineberger, representing the Gascon recall committee, underscored that Allen’s bill would impede their ability to complete these necessary steps. “The legislation appears to directly counter the Recall Committee’s efforts to highlight and rectify wrongly rejected signatures. If passed, it would severely undermine the capacity of petitioners to perform a meaningful review.”
Steve Cooley, the longest-serving Los Angeles County District Attorney from 2000 to 2012, also opposes SB 1441. In his opposition letter, Cooley stated, “The Registrar went to great lengths to obstruct the [Gascon] review process. This included denying reasonable access to the recall petition and vital voter data needed to assess signature rejections, among other measures.”
Lineberger also raised concerns about the 60-day threshold included in the bill, purportedly designed to align with the county’s timeframe for identifying invalid signatures during a regular election. However, he points out the disparity between the resources available to the registrar’s office and those of the recall campaign. While the registrar’s office completed its review within 60 days with the assistance of 400 temporary workers, the recall campaign operated under constraints, employing only 14 representatives working three days a week on seven computers.
Additionally, Cathleen Cady, a participant in the review process, criticized the bill’s provision that places the full financial responsibility for reviewing records on the recall petitioner, stating, “The introduction of a state law provision enabling an election official to impose a potentially significant and largely prohibitive fee for a proponent to access the ballot constitutes an attack on democracy.”
The bill is set for a hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 2.
