Bosley Recall Update
The case to decide whether signatures can be removed from a petition to recall 3rd Ward Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr. has been continued until next week. During that time briefs may be filed in support of the two sides’ positions.
The recallers claim that since there is no law that allows the city election board to allow petition signers to have their signatures removed, the board should not have allowed Bosley to ask hundreds of 3rd Ward residents to do just that.
The election board contends that since there is no limit to the amount of time that recallers have to gather signatures, it is only fair to allow signers to change their minds weeks, months or even years after they signed the petition. They also claim that since neither state law nor the City of St. Louis’ charter says otherwise, then they are allowed to create board policies in the interests of fairness and maintaining an orderly process.
A decision in this case — which may have a significant impact on several ongoing and planned recall efforts — may come early next week.
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6 Comments
Anonymous
Tuesday, 22nd August 2006 at 12:39 PM
No one is interested in the 3rd ward, because under Bosley’s rule, the area has emptied out. No wonder the recall-backers have had such a hard time gathering signatures.
Anonymous
Tuesday, 22nd August 2006 at 2:00 PM
Each ward has the same number of people. You know, one man/one vote, etc.
Travis Reems
Tuesday, 22nd August 2006 at 7:56 PM
The original post is incorrect, in that, recallers have a period of three years during which to collect the necessary signatures. Nearly all agree that that period is far too long, which leads to the necessity for a mechanism allowing signatories to remove their support for such an extreme measure.
Antonio D. French
Tuesday, 22nd August 2006 at 8:28 PM
No, Travis. There is no time limit on when signatures can be gathered. The only limits are when they can be TURNED IN (not within the first six months or the last six months of a term).
Travis Reems
Thursday, 24th August 2006 at 8:44 AM
If that interpretation is correct, it makes the situation even worse, as a signatory years later may have forgotten that he or she signed such a petition, and in the meanwhile has changed his or her position and wishes to remove his or her support for the petition. In fact, that would necessitate having such a mechanism whereby signatories could remove their signatures from a petition.
Anonymous
Friday, 25th August 2006 at 9:36 PM
Let’s put Bosley and Irons in a ward by themselves?
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