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 Politicsportal |
A recall election in the state of Wisconsin is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended.
| Part of the Politics series |
| Elections |
|---|
| |
| Politicsportal |
A recall election in the state of Wisconsin is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended.
In 1911, newly elected Governor Francis E. McGovern laid out his progressive vision for Wisconsin, which included a proposal for a recall. [1] The next week, State Senator Paul O. Husting introduced Senate Joint Resolution 9, which allowed for the recall of every office holder in the state, including both those elected and appointed. [1] Several senators did not like that the recall also applied to judges, and attached an exemption for judges. The bill passed the Senate 20-7. [1] The bill was then passed by the Assembly 64-1. [1]
Since proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution must pass two consecutive legislatures before going to the people for a vote, Husting introduced his bill again on February 11, 1913. [1] [2] The bill passed the Senate 26-1, and the Assembly 72-17. [1] The proposed amendment then when to the voters, who, in November 1914, voted it down by a margin of 64 percent to 36 percent. [1]
A second attempt at a recall amendment came in 1923, when Senator Henry Huber introduced Senate Joint Resolution 39, which allowed for the recall of public officials. [1] It passed the Senate 17-12, and the Assembly 60-10. [1] In 1924, Huber was elected Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, so the second introduction of the resolution was taken up by Max W. Heck. [1] It passed the Senate 22-8, and the Assembly 70-22. [1] The resolution was scheduled to appear on the November 2, 1926 ballot.
There was strong opposition to the proposed amendment, because it allowed for the recall of state judges. Organizations, such as the State Bar of Wisconsin, [3] the Milwaukee Bar Association, [4] Archbishop Sebastian Gebhard Messmer [5] and the editorial boards of the Milwaukee Journal [6] and the Milwaukee Sentinel. [1]
The proposed amendment also had its supporters, including the editorial board of the Wisconsin State Journal, [7] the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor, [8] and U.S. Senator Robert M. La Follette Jr. [9]
The amendment passed, by a margin of 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent. [1]
In 2011, State Senator Jim Holperin became the first state legislator to be subject to a recall in two different legislative bodies: the Assembly in 1990, and the State Senate in 2011. [10]
In 2012, Governor Scott Walker became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall. [11]
The recall was officially created in November 1926 by constitutional amendment. [12] The rules established in the constitution are: [12]
In 1981, the constitution was amended, which changed the rules for recalls. [12] This amendment changed the rules, which follow: [12]
A recall election is a procedure by which, in certain polities, voters can remove an elected official from office through a referendum before that official's term of office has ended. Recalls appear in the constitution in ancient Athenian democracy. Even where they are legally available, recall elections are only commonly held in a small number of countries including Peru, Ecuador, and Japan. They are considered by groups such as ACE Electoral Knowledge Network as the most rarely used form of direct democracy.
Dave Hansen is an American Democratic politician and former state legislator. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate from 2001 through 2021, representing the 30th senatorial district.
Joseph K. Leibham is an American business executive and lobbyist who served as a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 9th District from 2002 to 2014. He previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 26th district from 1998 to 2002.
Mary Lazich is an American Republican politician. She served five years in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 19 years in the State Senate, and was President of the Senate for her final session (2015–2016).
Luther S. Olsen is an American politician and former member of the Wisconsin Legislature. A Republican, he served 16 years in the Wisconsin State Senate (2005–2021) and ten years in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1994–2005). Olsen was one of several Wisconsin state senators to survive the 2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections.
Daniel E. Kapanke is an American politician who was a former Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 32nd District from 2005 until losing his seat to Jennifer Shilling in the 2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections.
James C. Holperin is a retired American politician from Vilas County, Wisconsin. He served in the Wisconsin State Senate (2009–2012) and State Assembly (1983–1994), representing northern Wisconsin. He also served as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism from during the first term of Governor Jim Doyle. He is the only state legislator in history to face recall twice, surviving both.
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