Time running out for recall drives against state lawmakers

Recall campaigns against the state’s elected officials have until the end of the week  to hand in petition signatures to be considered for the November ballot. There have been more than two dozen recall campaigns against Republican lawmakers, and just three against Democratic lawmakers. 

Two of those lawmakers – State Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer and state Representative Barb Byrum – are in the clear after an elections panel in Ingham County rejected petitions language against them. 

Michael Hodges is the lawyer who represents Barb Byrum. He says the language mentioned Byrum’s lack of support for “welfare reform” in a broad way that was unclear.  

"The rest of the bills out there dealt with department budgets and an overhaul of the tax scheme that raising taxes on the working families below the poverty level or on raising taxes on retirees, that sort of thing, and it’s hard to tell what they mean -- how you could call that welfare reform.”

Meanwhile, there are many active recall campaigns against Republican lawmakers, including one against House Education Committee Chairman Paul Scott. The Michigan Education Association teachers union has thrown their weight behind recalling Scott.