For the second time, a recall petition against a local lawmaker has been rejected by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers.
The panel voted 2-1 on Monday to reject recalls submitted against Democratic Representatives Jennifer Conlin of Ann Arbor, Noah Arbit of West Bloomfield, Kelly Breen of Novi and Denise Mentzer of Mount Clemens, which targeted their votes in favor of creating the Michigan Hate Crime Act. A lack of clarity was cited as the basis of the rejection as the petitions referred to the legislation as an amendment to the existing ethnic intimidation law. A majority of the board felt that was inadequate in describing the content of the bill.
A recall against Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) was also rejected 2-1. It cited her vote for a red flag law passed by the Democratic-led legislature earlier this year that would allow individuals to request a judge confiscate firearms from people believed to be a risk to themselves or others. However, it was turned down because it inaccurately indicated the bill would create an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), when in fact it created the process to obtain an ERPO.
It was the second recall petition against Conlin and other Democrats to be rejected by the bipartisan panel. A previous petition was rejected on August 1st.
Conlin’s 48th House District includes Genoa and Hamburg townships, the Village of Pinckney and the southeast corner of Putnam Twp. in Livingston County.
While rejecting those petitions, canvassers voted 3-0 to approve a petition submitted against Rep. Sharon MacDonell (D-Troy) which they said sufficiently cited her vote in support of a red flag law passed by the Democratic-led legislature earlier this year that would allow individuals to request a judge confiscate firearms from people believed to be a risk to themselves or others.
A seventh recall petition submitted against Rep. Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Township) was withdrawn.
Earlier this month the board approved a recall petition against Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan), citing his procedural vote for Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit) to become the Michigan House Speaker.
Organizers of the petitions against MacDonell and Cavitt now have a 60 day window to collect signatures equal to 25% of the votes cast in each respective district in the 2022 gubernatorial election to get the recall election on the ballot.
