Tagged: paul scott

Republicans and Democrats in Lansing are closely following a recall election in Genesee County. The target of the recall is the Republican chairman of the state House Education Committee, Representative Paul Scott.

The Michigan Education Association made Representative Scott the target of the recall effort. The union partially blames him for budget cuts to K-12 schools and tenure law revisions that make it easier to fire teachers. The recall petition also cites Scott’s vote in favor of the state tax overhaul that includes extending the Michigan income tax to seniors’ pensions.

At least $225,000 has been spent on both sides of the recall campaign. The effort has also sparked retaliation by the Michigan Republican Party against Democratic lawmakers across the state.

There are currently 32 more recall petitions circulating that target both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. If they’re successful, those recall questions would appear on the February 2012 ballot.

A week from today, Michigan voters head to the polls for a number of millage and mayoral elections. In Genesee County, there will also be a recall for Republican State Representative, Paul Scott. He serves as chairman of the House Education Committee.

In this interview, Michigan Radio's Jennifer White asks Rep. Scott why he thinks he has been targeted for recall and what he plans to do over the next week to try and keep his seat.

The Michigan Supreme Court says it will not stop or postpone a recall election targeting a state lawmaker.  Today’s decision clears the way for the November 8 vote.   

Republican Paul Scott (R-Grand Blanc) has spent much of the past month trying to convince the courts to stop next month’s recall election.

With less than two weeks to go before the November 8 vote, the Michigan Supreme Court appears to have had the final word on Scott’s request and that word is ‘no’.  

Scott’s been arguing that there was a problem with the way recall petition signatures were collected and that there’s been so much confusion around whether the vote would take place, that it would be better to cancel or postpone the recall election. 

But in its order, the state supreme court expresses the hope that “officials charged with administering the election in Genesee County will ensure the fullest participation in the electoral process of all citizens.”   

The Michigan Education Association is behind the Scott recall campaign, targeting Scott for his support for cuts in state education spending and anti-union legislation.

We may hear as early as today whether a recall election targeting a state Republican lawmaker will be rescheduled from next month to next year.    

State Representative Paul Scott asked the Michigan Supreme Court to order a vote on recalling him from office moved from November 8th to next February. 

Next month’s recall has been bouncing around the courts this month as Scott has tried to get the entire recall election cancelled.   A judge did issue a temporary injunction stopping the vote only to be overruled by the Michigan Supreme Court.   In its decision, the high court ruled that judge's order cancelling the November recall created ‘practical problems’,  like what to do with absentee ballots that had already been mailed.  

Scott’s attorney is now arguing that the Supreme Court’s own ruling is adding to the confusion. 

The recall campaign says Scott only wants to reschedule the recall vote to February, so it can be held on the same ballot as the Republican presidential primary.   

A spokesman for state House Republicans insists the February date was only proposed since it’s the next regularly scheduled election.

The Michigan Supreme Court is being asked to stay a lower court ruling and allow Genesee County voters to decide if they want to recall State Representative Paul Scott.   

Last week, a judge issued a temporary injunction halting next month’s recall vote.    

Bobbie Walton is with the recall campaign.  She’s optimistic that the state supreme court will allow the vote to go forward.   

“We are hoping, through our efforts, we can bring the vote back to the people in District 51," says Walton.  

A judge in Ingham County has issued a temporary injunction which stops a recall effort against State Representative Paul Scott.   

Republican Paul Scott was targeted for recall by the Michigan Education Association. Scott is a supporter of cutting K-12 education funding and legislation which targets teachers unions. 

The campaign to recall the Republican chair of the state House Education Committee is a step closer to appearing on the November ballot. The state Bureau of Elections has informed state Representative Paul Scott that the campaign to recall him appears to have gathered enough valid signatures to get the question on the ballot.

The recall campaign needed to gather 9,600 signatures from registered voters in the Genesee County state House district. Elections officials determined the campaign gathered more than 11,000. Representative Scott has two weeks to file any challenges to the signatures. The Secretary of State will make an official decision by September 9th. Scott is also challenging the recall campaign in court.

The Michigan Education Association made Scott a top recall target over cuts to schools and the new tax on pensions. Scott is the only state lawmaker potentially facing a recall question on the November ballot. But there are two dozen other recall petitions circulating. The recall is also considered by many to be a local referendum on the record of Republican Governor Rick Snyder.