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Committee hears constitutional amendment to allow recall elections for constitutional officers; members raise costs and continuity questions
Summary
Representative Kavanaugh presented HJR 1,007 to create a recall mechanism for offices established in the Arkansas Constitution. Committee members asked about timing, costs of special elections, simultaneous recalls and signature verification; sponsor said the amendment sets required petition and election procedures and that statutory change alone
Representative Kavanaugh presented House Joint Resolution 1,007 to the House State Agencies Committee, proposing a constitutional amendment that would create a recall procedure for officers whose offices are established by the state constitution.
The sponsor said the amendment sets parameters for petitions, signature thresholds and election timing so voters could remove constitutional officers if they choose. "This just sets the guidelines of what it would take for a recall," Kavanaugh said, and added he had repeatedly filed similar proposals.
Council and committee questions
Committee members pressed the sponsor on a range of procedural and practical issues. Representative Rose asked whether two recall elections could occur simultaneously (for example, a recall of the secretary of state and the governor); Kavanaugh said that was possible under the way the amendment is drafted. Representative Wooldridge and others asked whether a recall during or near a regular election could create conflicting ballots and practical difficulties; the sponsor said the amendment includes timing rules tied to a 120‑day window that would, in some circumstances, place a recall on a general election ballot to reduce cost.
Representative Meeks and others asked about signature verification and whether the petition rules the committee has recently discussed would be incorporated. The sponsor said the language sets signature thresholds and some verification guidance; additional statutory rules would supplement petition administration. Representative Crawford asked about election costs and the possibility of special elections; Kavanaugh said the amendment addresses expenses and the process for determining whether a recall would coincide with a general election.
Scope and concerns
Lawmakers noted the amendment would cover nearly all constitutional offices, including judges and statewide elected officials, and raised concerns about unintended consequences such as politicizing judicial decisions or repeated recalls in short terms. Representative Beatty asked whether the committee would seek testimony from affected constitutional officers; the chair said he would consider whether to invite them to future hearings. Kavanaugh said his constituents had repeatedly asked for recall authority and that the proposal attempts to balance access to recall with procedural safeguards such as requiring significant signature thresholds and limiting recalls to one attempt per term.
Ending
The committee heard the proposal and several members requested follow‑up detail about ballot timing, signature verification and fiscal impacts; no committee vote was taken on HJR 1,007 during this meeting.
