Legislation proposed last week could allow some Tennessee voters to organize recall elections for local elected officials, should two-thirds of voters be willing to sign a petition after a city or county government adopts a policy allowing the recalls.
The summary for HB 92 explains the legislation would allow Tennessee’s local governments to adopt a process for citizens to initiate recall elections, while the text of the bill specifies such efforts would be limited to members of local government legislative bodies, mayors, sheriffs, trustees, registers, clerks, assessors of property, and school board members.
Proposed by State Representative G.A. Hardaway (D-Memphis), the bill would allow citizens to file a petition with their local county election commission to “demand the call of the local official” after local officials approve a policy for the recall process.
The petition “must contain a general statement of the grounds upon which the removal is sought” and should be signed by two-thirds of registered voters in the local official’s constituency.
If the signatures are determined to be accurate, a recall election will be then called, requiring 66 percent of voters to vote “for recall” of the elected official.
Should two-thirds of voters agree to recall a local official, “the person named shall be declared removed from office and the office must be declared vacant.”
Existing Tennessee laws already set procedures for vacancies in local offices, including by appointing interim successors and selecting replacements by county officials.
Hardaway proposed the legislation as another West Tennessee lawmaker, State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), outlined his plans for the General Assembly to oust Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy from office.
Taylor listed last week nine causes for Mulroy’s removal, including the district attorney’s alleged repeated circumvention of laws passed by the General Assembly, engagement in race-based prosecutions, collusion with judges to free convicted criminals, inability to manage his office’s budget, and failure to contact victims and their families when criminals are eligible to have their sentence commuted or to be paroled.
As Mulroy is a state district attorney, he would not appear eligible for removal should HB 92 become law.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Start with Hardaway.