Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letters to the Editor:

Recall efforts are frightening

I read online about the petition initiatives to recall Democratic Sen. Joyce Woodhouse and independent Sen. Patricia Farley from the state Legislature. (Editor’s note: Since this letter was written, another Democratic senator, Nicole Cannizzaro, was targeted for recall.)

Farley’s term ends in 2018, and she does not plan to run again. Woodhouse’s term does not end until 2020.

While I fully support the grass-roots democratic process of petition, I cannot tell you how utterly shocked and appalled I was to read that in Nevada there is no necessity to name any reason for recalling an official. This seems like being able to arrest and hold someone without any evidence or charge, to administer medical treatment without consent, to be given a punitive divorce with no hearing before a judge, or to fire someone with no explanation whatsoever.

I searched news outlets for evidence of malfeasance by these senators and found none. The petitions have been started by conservative Republicans, former GOP Assemblyman Stephen Silberkraus (Woodhouse), and John Gibson, president of the conservative political group Keystone Corporation; Kevin Kean, a board member for Keystone; and Las Vegas resident Annalise Castor (Farley).

I urge these senators to invite conservative voters of their districts to conversations on specific dissatisfactions they have with the work of these women. I urge the voters not to sign these petitions without making the effort to inform the senators of what they disagree with, and without asking for some compromise.

To deprive elected officials of the full time of their terms — without cause — seems like flagrant disrespect the rule of law on which our country is based. I find the petitioners’ use of the petition process in this way, with disregard for the citizens’ right to reason and evidence, frightening.

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