Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
First, a qualification. I am not saying that he does not deserve it, but people should be smart enough to know that you do not recall a politician in his last term who is term limited, especially when the timeline for any recall election puts you smack dab in the middle of the politician qualifying for the ballot to run for another office. Resource management people — focus on making sure that this corrupt politician is not elected again.
With that said, the antics of Russell Pearce and Joe Arpaio acolyte Rep. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) has earned him a recall effort by a group calling itself Raise The Bar Arizona. It's committee page on the Arizona Secretary of State web site is Here.
The Arizona Republic reports Recall effort launched against Rep. John Kavanagh:
A committee called Raise the Bar Arizona filed paperwork on Monday for a recall election, citing what it called Kavanagh’s hypocrisy on pledging to reduce the size of government while introducing legislation that would extend government’s reach. Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, dismissed it as misguided political harassment.
“He’s not limiting government; he’s extending it into bathrooms,” said Ray Ceo Jr., co-chairman of the newly formed committee.
Ceo was referring to Kavanagh’s introduction last week at the Legislature of a bill that would impose a disorderly-conduct charge on anyone who uses a public bathroom, dressing room or locker room if the gender designation on the facility doesn’t match the gender on the individual’s birth certificate.
Ceo said the committee’s problems with Kavanagh’s conduct go beyond the bathroom issue. The committee is critical of Kavanagh’s support of a bill that would defund the Arizona Students Association by taking away a fee that has benefited the group. Ceo’s co-chairman, Brianna Pantilione, is treasurer of the student group, which sued the Arizona Board of Regents for free-speech violations when the board suspended the group’s access to the student fee.
[The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) adds, Recall petition filed against Kavanagh: "Brianna Pantilione, the vice president of policy at ASU undergraduate student government, is heading the effort to recall the seven-year incumbent. As reasons for the recall, she cited his bills to prevent student fees from being spent on political purposes, his high-profile “bathroom bill” and his bill instituting a partisan primary in the recall campaign process. She said the group is going after Kavanagh because he isn’t a limited-government conservative as he said he was on the campaign trail."]
“Representative John Kavanagh has spent his time in office unconstitutionally attacking specific groups such as students rather than fulfilling his campaign promises to limit government and use taxpayer’s money effectively,” Raise the Bar said in a press release.
Ceo, a librarian and Valley native who’s also active within the gay community, said he’s tired of seeing Arizona being a “laughing stock” nationally.
The committee will need the valid signatures of 16,920 voters in Kavanagh’s northeast Valley district for a recall election.
Back to my qualification:
Kavanagh said the recall would be a waste of time and money. “If they succeed, they’ll recall me five months before my primary,” he said.
The earliest a recall election could be staged is March 2014; the GOP primary for the Legislature is in August. Although term limited in the House, Kavanagh is eying a state Senate seat.
This is not the first time Kavanagh has faced the threat of a recall – after supporting SB1070 in 2010, Somos Republicans, a Latino Republican group, threatened to recall him but never filed the paperwork.
Mr. Ceo, spend your time, effort, and money making sure that this corrupt politician is not elected to the senate, or any other office.