Snyder Recall Language Submitted

The Washtenaw County clerk’s office has received proposed petition language for a recall of Gov. Rick Snyder, who was elected in November 2010. The petition must be filed in the county where the subject of the recall lives – Snyder is an Ann Arbor area resident. According to the county clerk’s office, the petition was filed by Gerald D. Rozner from the city of Monroe. The effort is being organized by a group called Michigan Citizens United.

The petition states the reason for the recall: “Richard D. Snyder has requested from the legislature, approved and signed various laws that take authority and funds from local governments and school districts and vest them with the state. He has obtained for himself, through his appointed Emergency Financial Managers, the power to invalidate legal and binding contracts entered into by properly elected local authorities. He has sought tax increases upon retirees and lower income families, but instead of addressing the deficit, he has sought large new tax cuts for corporations and businesses.” [.pdf of proposed recall ballot language]

A clarity hearing to evaluate the petition language has been scheduled for April 29 at 11:30 a.m. in the Washtenaw County board of commissioners boardroom, 220 N. Main St., Ann Arbor. The hearing will be conducted by the county board of election commissioners: (chair) Donald E. Shelton, chief judge of the Washtenaw County Trial Court; (secretary) Larry Kestenbaum, county clerk; and (member) Catherine McClary, county treasurer.

If the petition language is approved, the recall effort would need to collect signatures equal to 25% of the number of votes cast for the office of governor in the general election – about 800,000 signatures would be required. By law, the petition itself can’t be submitted until six months after the recall subject takes office – that means the recall petition could be filed no earlier than July 1, 2011.