With this week’s virtual passage of a pay raise for state legislators, many members of the public are lashing out against lawmakers who supported the hike.
A representative from Secretary of State Jay Dardenne’s office said Thursday that since Monday, when the bill was approved, around 10 calls have come into the office requesting packets to begin recall drives.
Some people are even taking their complaints to the Internet. News spread today of a Web site aimed at recalling House Speaker Jim Tucker (R-Terrytown), one of the key figures who supported the pay raise. The site, recallpayraisetucker.com, calls for “clean up time” at the legislature.
“They just don't get it in Baton Rouge, the site reads. “We’re serious and we're not going to standby while those we elected to represent us pass an outrageous pay raise for themselves against our wishes. Their payraise takes effect in two weeks. The tax cut we’re supposed to get, if nothing changes, takes effect 12-18 months from now.
“We need 9,000 signatures in ‘Payraise’ Tucker’s District 86 to force a recall,” the site reads, “That would send a message to the rest of the legislature that’ll have them shaking in their boots.
To recall a legislator or statewide official in Louisiana requires a lot of work. Any petition must have at least one third of the official’s district signed on in favor of the recall. Plus, the recall must be done within 180 days. A tall task, by any definition.
Is recalling these legislators, and in some minds Gov. Bobby Jindal as well, even possible. It’s never been done in the state before, but if enough feathers are ruffled, it could happen.
