Colorado Recalls Anti-Gun Senator

[Ban Hammer 12,829]

Colorado sent a strong message to anti-gun politicians today: If you try and take away our rights, we will vote you out of office. John Morse, the anti-gun state senator led a recent initiative to pass multiple gun control laws, has been recalled after a committee obtained the required signatures.

The pro-gun group obtained over 16,000 signatures to the secretary of state for verification. Of the signatures, 7,178 needed to be verified in order to officially begin a recall election. Over 10,000 were found to be verified—with Colorado’s secretary of state signing off yesterday.

The Washington Times has more details:

Meanwhile, Mr. Morse, a Colorado Springs Democrat, released a statement Monday on his Facebook page asking for out-of-state help from those in traditionally liberal cities to help fight the recall effort.

“We can get phone lists to you and things like that and have you help from Boston, Massachusetts, or San Francisco, California,” said Mr. Morse in a video message. “So thanks for all that you’ve done and thanks for all that you’re going to do as we move forward to take on this tiger.”

Mr. Morse has 15 days to challenge the signatures, but if his protest fails, the governor will be charged with setting a recall election date between 45 and 75 days from the end of the protest period.

Unfortunately Mr. Morse had already mentioned plans to retire his seat, and if he resigns—a Democrat committee will be in charge of filling his vacancy.

And recall activists haven’t stopped with John Morse; State Sen. Angela Giron is another anti-gun politician who could soon lose her job pending the verification of signatures.

The recall efforts are a resounding response against the anti-gun efforts that politicians continue to push. The results of the impending recall should serve as a warning for politicians looking to get involved with the infringement of our rights. Colorado may have passed anti-gun legislation, but those fighting to protect our 2nd Amendment are showing they won’t go quietly.

http://bearingarms.com/colorado-recalls-anti-gun-senator/

[Darnell 8,478]

Yay !

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

John Morse, the anti-gun state senator led a recent initiative to pass multiple gun control laws, has been recalled after a committee obtained the required signatures.

http://bearingarms.com/colorado-recalls-anti-gun-senator/

That's a patently false statement. By that logic, Scott Walker was recalled as well. Last I checked, he's still in office. But hey, it's naturally stupid gun nuts doing the reporting. Not likely that they would ever know how chit actually works. Bunch of morons that they are.

[Karee 4,189]

I think the courts are gonna throw it out. See bolded section below:

Colorado Senate President John Morse recall petitions certified

Posted: 06/18/2013 02:20:21 PM MDT
Updated: 06/19/2013 08:19:25 AM MDT

By Kurtis Lee
The Denver Post

Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, has received thousands of dollars to help fend off a recall effort. (Colorado Springs Gazette file)

Related

The effort to recall Colorado Senate President John Morse charged forward Tuesday with the secretary of state's office announcing that organizers submitted more than enough valid signatures to produce the first-ever recall election of a lawmaker in the state.

Secretary of state officials said that organizers with the El Paso Freedom Defense Committee's effort obtained 10,137 valid signatures from the roughly 16,200 signatures the group turned in earlier this month. To spark a recall, they needed just 7,178 verified, and they outpaced that figure by about 3,000 votes.

But supporters of Morse argued Tuesday the petition language used was incomplete and the recall effort should be set aside.

Morse, a Colorado Springs Democrat, is the target of a recall for his leadership on the party's passage of tougher gun control laws in this year's legislative session, and Tuesday's announcement is certain to send reverberations nationally as the gun debate has created gridlock among Democrats and Republicans in Congress and in state capitols across the country.

Thousands of dollars in undisclosed cash from national organizations have already flooded into the recall effort from both sides.

"This is certainly becoming about more than John Morse and the voters in his El Paso County District," said Bob Loevy, a professor emeritus of political science at Colorado College.

The undisclosed cash from national organizations has poured into the recall effort from both sides, with Morse supporters significantly outraising recall organizers. The group backing Morse raised $97,500 in May, compared with the $56,000 of recall organizers.

Since organizers began knocking on front doors and gathering in grocery store parking lots in an effort to collect signatures, Morse has remained adamant he's prepared for a fight and potentially "the campaign of a lifetime."

In 2010, Morse won his El Paso County district — which resides in one of the most conservative pockets of the state — by less than 350 votes and raked in a total of 13,866 votes.

A Whole Lot of People for John Morse, the group backing him, said Tuesday its protest "would nullify the purported sufficiency of the signatures."

They argued the organizers failed to use proper language as defined by the Colorado Constitution requiring petitions "expressly include a demand for the election of a successor to the recalled official."

Mark Grueskin, a prominent election lawyer who is representing a Morse constituent who filed the legal challenge with the secretary of state Tuesday, said, "The constitution is clear, just as the courts are clear: No recall petition is valid without this specific language."

In a recall election, the ballot asks two questions: Should "so and so" be recalled, and "if so, then who should" be the successor.

Grueskin said organizers failed to use such wording in their petition language that notifies signers that a recall is a two-part process.

Article 21, Section 1 of state constitution says that recall petitions ask for "an election of the successor to the officer named in said petition."

The recall petition's plain language doesn't appear to contain information relating to a successor being picked.

The secretary of state's office now has 30 days to consider the protest and come to a decision, according to a spokesman. Once a decision is made, it could move to court.

"I don't think the protest is based on an accurate reading of the state constitution," said Richard Westfall, legal counsel for the state's Republican party and a specialist in election and constitutional law. "The state constitution very much protects a citizen's right to recall elected officials. A hyper-technical argument suggested by Sen. Morse's attorneys would unduly limit the citizens' rights to recall their elected officials."

The El Paso County clerk and recorder has estimated a recall election would cost taxpayers at least $150,000.

Morse's colleague Sen. Angela Giron, D-Pueblo, is also bracing for a possible recall election. Organizers in her district submitted about 13,000 signatures last week and need 11,285 of those verified.

Source:

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23486124/organizers-submit-sufficient-signatures-recall-sen-john-morse

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I think the courts are gonna throw it out. See bolded section below:

Even if the courts do not throw it out, as of this report, the Senator has not been recalled. The article is the manifestation of either gun nuts being painfully ignorant or living in an alternate reality. Or both.

[RGinWA 816]

The title is way misleading...he has not been "recalled". Its a petition.

[Karee 4,189]

Even if the courts do not throw it out, as of this report, the Senator has not been recalled. The article is the manifestation of either gun nuts being painfully ignorant or living in an alternate reality. Or both.

Colorado Springs is pretty conservative. I'm surprised this guy won in the first place. Looks like he didn't win by much. It's kinda funny the people running this didn't name who would replace him if he is recalled as is required by the state constitution.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The title is way misleading...he has not been "recalled". Its a petition.

It's the title of the article quoted. Gotta cut them some slack. They're gun nuts. They don't know any better.

Colorado Springs is pretty conservative. I'm surprised this guy won in the first place. Looks like he didn't win by much. It's kinda funny the people running this didn't name who would replace him if he is recalled as is required by the state constitution.

Even if it is 100% Republican, the Senator has not been recalled as the article claims. That is false. Plain and simple.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

The title is way misleading...he has not been "recalled". Its a petition.

Not everyone cares whether what they post is true or not.

Edited June 20, 2013 by Penny Lane

[RGinWA 816]

Not everyone cares whether what they post is true or not.

I totally forgot that.

My bad...hahaha

[Pooky 3,343]

So, is the recall the act of removal from office, the forcing of an election, or something else?

Regardless of the answer to the above question, I don't believe recall efforts are a poor way to serve democracy of any kind. Elected representatives won their positions by stating a necessary majority over their opponents. That result should be permitted to stand until their term is served, barring criminal activity.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So, is the recall the act of removal from office, the forcing of an election, or something else?

Was Scott Walker recalled?

[Pooky 3,343]

Was Scott Walker recalled?

Not a clue. That was why I asked the question. The UK doesn't have the "recall", so I wanted someone to give me an accurate definition of the concept.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Not a clue. That was why I asked the question. The UK doesn't have the "recall", so I wanted someone to give me an accurate definition of the concept.

A recall is an election where voters decide whether an incumbent is replaced with another candidate before the term of the incumbent is up. Such recall election is forced by a petition. What has happened in CO is that the petition has met the burden in terms of the number of signatures required to force a recall election. The recall election has not yet been scheduled, let alone taken place. Thus, the Senator has not actually been recalled. That headline and reporting is absolutely false.

Then there is the issue that Karee points out of whether the petition actually qualifies. That's an issue the courts will probably deal with soon enough.

Either way, Scott walker was not recalled despite having been forced into a recall election. He survived the effort.

Edited June 20, 2013 by Mr. Big Dog

[Pooky 3,343]

A recall is an election where voters decide whether an incumbent is replaced with another candidate before the term of the incumbent is up. Such recall election is forced by a petition. What has happened in CO is that the petition has met the burden in terms of the number of signatures required to force a recall election. The recall election has not yet been scheduled, let alone taken place. Thus, the Senator has not actually been recalled. That headline and reporting is absolutely false.

Then there is the issue that Karee points out of whether the petition actually qualifies.

Either way, Scott walker was not recalled despite having been forced into a recall election. He survived the effort.

OK, so you contradicted yourself in the explanation you have above.

Is the recall the election itself, or the removal from office?