Recall Petition Against Bledsoe Denied by Wayne County Election Commission

Rep. Tim Bledsoe successfully fought a recall petition filed against him by a Grosse Pointe Woods man Tuesday when the Wayne County Election Commission found the petition's language unclear.

Earlier this month, citing his no vote on house bill 4362 May 12, 2011. The language Hauler used to describe the house bill became the target of Mary Ellen Gurewitz, the attorney representing Bledsoe.

The petition reason denied Tuesday morning reads: "Michigan House Bill 4362 eliminates the Michigan Business Tax; however, on May 12, 2011, State Representative Tim Bledsoe, voted no on final passage of Michigan House Bill 4362."

Gurewitz said the description used by Hauler did not match the description given on the bill by the state legislature, which describes the bill as amending the Michigan Business Tax rather than eliminating it. She argued the description was not accurate or truthful.

Gurewitz told the commission the description is a misrepresentation of the bill, arguing that the petition should be denied both based on what it says and what is doesn't say. She then listed off the other parts of the bill that involved significant changes to individual tax credits Michiganders would not longer be able to claim.

She also highlighted denials of petitions filed in three other counties against five other legislators that used the exact same language. Denials were from Bay, Ingam and Macomb counties throughout August. The Macomb decision happened Monday. 

Hauler's attorney, Stu Sandler, cited a 2008 Michigan Court of Appeals case in which the court determined truth of the language is not required for a clarity hearing. 

Sandler also cited a case from 1984 concerning recall efforts in which the courts found "meticulous and detailed language is not required." He told the commission the language is factual in that Bledsoe voted against the house bill and that nothing further is required to seek clarity for a recall. 

The commission voted unanimously to deny the petition for a lack of clear language and did not offer more reasoning behind the decision when asked by Sandler.

Afterward, Bledsoe said he is happy with the decision and will fight any future recall petition filed. Most people he's heard from about the recall effort are appalled, he said, noting that feeling is coming from both Republicans and Democrats. 

Before leaving the hearing room, Hauler told Patch he believes the decision by the commission is "more political than anything."

"Just look outside to see what the Democrats have done to the City of Detroit," Hauler said, swinging his arm toward a window overlooking downtown. "I'm tired of it."

Then he left the hearing room, headed into the Wayne County Clerk's Office to file with the Election Division two additional recall petitions with what he described as being more clear language. 

He filed two new petitions. One names the same house bill but simply states the reason as his no vote without a description of the bill. The other uses Bledsoe's vote on the Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act of 2011.

Bledsoe maintains his belief that the recall effort is Lansing-based rather than just from Hauler individually. He believes he is being targeted by the Republican Party for his vocal opposition to Schools of Choice.

Hauler ran for the 13th Congressional District seat in 2010 but lost to U.S. Rep. Hansen Clarke. According to the John Hauler for Congress Facebook page, he was recruited by the Republican Party to run for that seat.