Citizens in Charge

It looks like both sides in the union versus budget debate in Wisconsin are preparing to fire their recall artillery at each other as both Republican and Democrat state senators could face campaigns to remove them from office:

Republican Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac, is among nine senators being targeted by recall attempts.

The recall paperwork was filed in recent days. A state Senate impasse persists over Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill.

The Government Accountability Board said Wednesday the Democratic senators targeted are Minority Leader Mark Miller, Spencer Coggs, Dave Hansen, Jim Holperin and Robert Wirch.

It says the Republicans are Senators Robert Cowles, Alberta Darling, Hopper of Fond du Lac and Luther Olsen of Ripon.

Hopper was elected to the 18th Senate District in 2008, winning the seat of the retiring Carol Roessler. He is the owner of Mountain Dog Media, a company that owns radio stations in the South Fox Valley region including KFIZ-AM 1450 and 107.1 KFIZ-FM.

Hopper was in a meeting when The Reporter contacted his office on Wednesday. A call to Olsen’s office went to voice mail.

Wisconsin law allows any elected official who has served at least one year of their current term to be recalled from office.

Once the recall paperwork is filed, organizers have 60 days to gather signatures.

The number of signatures depends on how many voters in that district voted for governor, a number that in these cases ranges from about 11,000 to 20,000.

If enough signatures are gathered, the incumbent has to go through a new election.

Citizens in Charge supports the right of Wisconsin citizens to recall any politician of any party if they are not satisfied with their actions in office. Let the games begin.