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Senator Ericksen Accountability Project Update

RECALL

By law, the recall happens in several steps, we have completed step 1 and are awaiting step 2. 

  1. File charges (done, full text at the end of this post)
  2. Charges are heard in the Whatcom County Superior Court on March 2nd at 8:30 am with Judge Montoya-Lewis.  Here is a map.  You can attend, though the space is limited to about 50 people.  The hearing will be recorded and we can request a copy of the video from the clerk.
  3. If the recall clears the Superior Court hurdle (a very high bar), we collect 25k signatures from registered 42nd district voters.
  4. If we collect all the signatures the recall will be on the ballot in November of 2017.
  5. If Senator Ericksen is recalled, the 42nd district Republican Precinct Committee Officers nominate three choices for replacement.  Whatcom County Council selects one of the three choices to serve as our senator for the remainder of the term.

TOWN HALL MEETING

  1. Our town hall meeting invitation was hand-delivered to Senator Ericksen’s staff on Monday, February 20th.  Whether or not he accepts our invitation, we will hold a town hall meeting to discuss issues and our efforts to hold Senator Ericksen accountable.  You can help with this effort.
    Sign the RC town hall invitation.
  2. Use Twitter to encourage Senator Ericksen to schedule a meeting with his constituents.  Sample tweet:  Dear @Doug_Ericksen 42nd constituents kindly request a town hall meeting with you in March before the session ends, please respond here http://tinyurl.com/joh3afv #waleg
  3. Message Senator Ericksen on Facebook to encourage him to set up a town hall meeting with his constituents. His Facebook page no longer accepts posts, so message is the best option.

Earlier updates and actions in this post.
Press coverage of 42nd district efforts.

Charges Filed:
“To whom it may concern,
Pursuant to The Washington State Constitution and RCW 29A.56.110, citizens of the 42nd Legislative District (hereafter “petitioners”) respectfully request recall of Washington State Senator Doug Ericksen. The attached brief supports these charges.
The Petitioners allege that Senator Ericksen is subject to recall due to misfeasance and a failure to faithfully perform a duty imposed by law. Senator Ericksen committed misfeasance by failing to attend over 75-percent of his committee meetings, failing to attend meetings for bills he’s submitted, and failing to be present for constituent feedback. Moreover, Senator Ericksen failed to faithfully perform a duty imposed by the law by violating the Washington State Constitution. Specifically, Senator Ericksen is prohibited under the constitution from accepting a managerial position in the federal Executive Branch while maintaining an elected position in the state Legislative Branch.
Clearly, Senator Ericksen is not able to provide the time and attention to the important matters of Washington State or the 42nd District while working on a significant administrative transfer at the EPA. Senator Ericksen’s inability to perform the basic duties of a state senator demonstrates that holding two offices on two sides of the country is incompatible with his duties. Therefore, we are petitioning his recall”.