Sensible recourse for voters

State Representative Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg recently introduced a very simple, short and plainly-worded four-page bill that would hold elected officials more accountable and give voters the opportunity to undo their mistakes.

Specifically, the bill would give voters the opportunity to recall statewide elected officials and members of the Florida Legislature.

Kriseman says it was a coincidence that his bill, HR 787, was filed the same day Gov. Rick Scott effectively killed high-speed rail in Florida (which Kriseman supports). I tend to believe Kriseman. However short, legislative bills aren't normally born in a day. Besides, there are more than enough examples of elected officials in Florida who need to be recalled. Kriseman didn't need Scott to be the poster child for recalling elected officials, though he admits the timing didn't hurt interest in his effort.
It will be interesting to see how far Kriseman's bill moves in the Legislature. Republicans currently dominate both chambers with "super majorities" and certainly don't want to do anything that would give a bunch of tax-paying, rogue voters any more say.

Parties in power don't like to upset the apple cart. If the cart tips over, they lose control after all.

For the record, House Speaker Dean Cannon's spokesperson said the speaker doesn't comment on member bills, preferring instead to allow members and the public to comment and weigh in on legislative proposals. Yeah right.

It's rather ironic when you think about the fact that the GOP is currently trying to remove job protections (tenure) from Florida's public school teachers but seems poised to not remove their own job protections by giving voters a recall option. The tenure track certainly needs reform, but no more so than voters need a "re-do" button for Tallahassee legislators. People like former Speaker Ray Samson or former state Sen. Victor Crist (who helped give us the Taj Mahal) come to mind. Either would have been fine candidates for recall based on the ethical issues Samson had, and the reckless and unaccountable spending ways of Crist.

That Florida is a right-to-work state whereby an employee can be fired for almost any reason makes it similarly illogical that members of the Legislature effectively cannot be fired. In fact, the only way members of the Legislature can be removed is if the governor first suspends them, at which time the state Senate may then remove them - or not.

The bill Kriseman has introduced does not spell out what constitutes a legitimate recall reason, though whatever the reason, it must be stated in the recall petition effort. Determining what makes a good reason will be a matter for the knuckleheaded voters who elected the subject in the first place to decide. In the case of removing a state legislator, 20 percent of voters in the affected district would have to sign the petition. If that occurred, the recall issue would be put before the electorate whereby 50 percent plus one would have to vote in the affirmative to have the official removed. If that occurred, a new election would be called and the recalled official would be barred from qualifying for that office. If the recall issue failed, the same official could not be subject to another recall attempt during the same term.

The bill's provisions for removing a statewide elected official would differ only in that it would require signatures from all of Florida's 67 counties and the signatures must equal at least 15 percent of total votes.

Kriseman's bill would only apply to state officeholders, so the next Buddy Johnson of the world would fall to different standards for removal, namely the governor.

Florida Republicans portray themselves as being the party of openness, fairness, responsibility and transparency. As such, you would think they would be wrapping themselves around this bill, but alas, Kriseman, is a Democrat, and few Republicans have publicly offered support.

Kriseman estimates passage at less than a 1 percent chance this year. But if it does pass, I'm betting the first guy subject to a recall will be a state senator with a three-letter first name that starts with "J," ends with "m," has a vowel in the middle that isn't "a," "e," "o" or "u" and whose last name rhymes with "stormin'." Where do I sign?