Posted on 05/02/2020 5:32:41 AM PDT by be-baw
A petition to recall Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will have to wait a bit longer to have its language reviewed by the state due to a notification error by election officials.
The petition’s language was scheduled to be reviewed Thursday, April 30 by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers via a virtual meeting, however, the governor’s legal counsel took issue with how Whitmer’s office was notified of the petition.
Michigan Election Law requires the board of state canvassers to notify an officer who is being petitioned for recall at least three days prior to a hearing. But the notification didn’t come from Johnathan Brater, director of elections and secretary to the Board of State Canvassers. It was sent instead by Melissa Malerman, of the Secretary of State’s Bureau of Elections, whom Brater asked to make the notification.
The board acknowledged that Brater has often asked staff to make such notifications on his behalf. But the governor’s counsel said it was an improper notification that would make Thursday’s hearing “procedurally defective."
Aaron Van Langevelde, vice-chair of the Board of State Canvassers, called the claim “a disingenuous argument by the governor’s counsel." The board considered a change to the rule, but decided to table it for future discussion.
The proposed petition to recall Whitmer was created by Chad Baase, 39, of Albion. He said the governor has destroyed the Michigan economy and violated the civil rights of residents by imposing restrictions on business and recreational activity in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Protesters tell lawmakers ‘vote no’ on extending state of emergency, argue freedoms outweigh coronavirus threat
“It’s not just the stay home order,” Baase said. “She has stomped on the people’s rights in so many ways. There will be so many businesses that won’t be able to open up again because of the hurt she has put on them.
"A lot of people are suffering and they can’t even get through the unemployment system because of computer problems.”
Baase withdrew his petition less than two hours before Thursday’s meeting after he learned of the notification error. He plans to resubmit the language Friday, May 1, with “some minor technical wording” changes based on other issues raised by the governor’s counsel.
Whitmer declared a state of emergency March 10 as the state reported its first two cases of COVID-19. Since then, there have been 41,379 confirmed cases and 3,789 deaths associated with the virus.
The governor’s state of emergency declaration, which is slated to expire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, gives the governor and her administration additional executive authority to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. She has also temporarily closed all non-essential businesses and asked residents to stay home and practice social distancing when possible to limit the spread of the virus.
Baase’s recall petition specifically takes exception to Executive Order 2020-42, which extended a prior order to temporarily suspend activities that are not necessary to sustain or protect life.
Once he’s given clearance for his recall petition language, Baase said he has residents across the state who have expressed interest in helping him collect signatures. They would need to collect more than 1 million signatures from registered voters in 60 days or less to trigger a recall election.
Baase said he also plans to file a lawsuit to ask the court to allow recall petitions to use electronic means to collect signatures during the health crisis. A recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg ordered that Michigan political candidates be allowed to electronically submit signatures for nominating petitions. That ruling did not address recall petitions.
“If I’m able to get this to go the way I can make it go where I’m allowed to collect electronic signatures -- I’m sure the court will side with me on that -- I don’t think it’ll take more than a few weeks to collect the signatures I need," Baase said.
During Thursday’s board of state canvassers meeting, member Julie Matuzak said she has concerns about the use of electronic signatures, especially if it becomes the new standard.
Citing the state’s K-12 online education during the outbreak, she said it’s been proven that different parts of the state have different circumstances regarding reliable internet and computers.
“If we move toward electronic signatures on petitions, that presents a real problem in terms of access and who gets to do this or not,” Matuzak said. “We haven’t had to deal with it yet, but probably will have to deal with it in the not too distant future.”
Baase’s effort to recall Whitmer isn’t his first attempt at a recall. In October 2017, he tried to recall Albion’s mayor and mayor pro tem. The petition was withdrawn due to the financial burden a special election could create for Albion taxpayers, Baase wrote in a letter to the county clerk’s office.
But the petition’s sponsor said he believes the effort played a role in then-Mayor Garrett Brown’s unsuccessful campaign to retain his office in November 2018.
The man behind the Whitmer recall petition is an entrepreneur who paints and maintains water towers. In February, he was paroled from prison, where he was serving two years and six months to 20 years for a 2014 conviction of making a false report or threat of terrorism.
Baase said he was intoxicated when he sent a series of threatening Facebook messages related to a custody case for his two children. He has since learned to use “the proper legal protocols to get things done," he said.
“This is not about me. This is about the governor and her behavior and how she has harmed the people of Michigan."
Forget electronic signatures.
Put the petition online and the peons can print it, fill it in, sign it and mail it.
Michigan’s Covidictator Gestapo Gretchen has got to go.
Media only does a good job in record time when it comes to researching the opposition and then ruining that persons credentials and life while protecting thier own
Governor Bruce is relying on technicalities to slow the process. How unnatural of he/she/it.
This thread on armed protesters inside Michigan’s capitol building the 30th:
https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3840563/posts
Patriot, working, rational (non-welfare) Michiganders are very pissed off.
Governor Whitmer is a stickler for protecting her own legal rights and due process. I wonder if she is aware of the hypocrisy as she tramples the rights of all other Americans in her state.
Stall, stall, stall until it’s too late to put the initiative on the ballot in November.
Reminds me of when the petitions were presented to oust Gray Davis in California - who, thankfully, was ousted.
The Dems in the statehouse did everything they could to delay, obfuscate and get rid of the will of the voters of the state. Didn’t work.
Would never happen now in Californiw.
“Media only does a good job in record time when it comes to researching the opposition and then ruining that persons credentials and life while protecting thier own.”
Been a liberal tool for over 80 years. See Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.
rwood
I wish they would put this guys contact info out there.... I would like to help if I can
I thought "notification" was a crowd showing up at the capitol with a rail, a bucket of tar, and a load of feathers.......
With 70% of these in just three counties (Wayne, Oakland and Macomb).
The CYA Party aka Dems Party is running from itself with blinders on.. What a sight!!
The CYA Party aka Dems Party is running from itself with blinders on.. What a sight!!
“Put the petition online and the peons can print it, fill it in, sign it and mail it.”
not that simple ... generally, sigs for these kinds of petitions must be collected face-to-face and witnessed by the person collecting the sigs ... the sig collector then must have their petition notarized and attest that they personally collected the sigs on their petition ... they have to do that separately for each and every separate petition form ... in Colorado, it’s not even legal to leave a petition unattended on a counter for signatures ...
the governor’s legal counsel took issue with how Whitmer’s office was notified of the petition
This is when they should have dragged the lawyer out a tattoed “Notified” across his forehead. Seriously, if we Reinstated the Original 13th Amendment, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
OK.
Yet, vote by mail is being pushed hard, but electronic signatures for a recall is a no no.
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