Brian Kinzie recall, Labette County, Kansas (2021)
| Labette County Commission recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| December 7, 2021 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2021 Recalls in Kansas Kansas recall laws County commission recalls Recall reports |
A recall election against Brian Kinzie (R), District Two representative on the Labette County Commission in Kansas, was held on December 7, 2021.[1][2] A majority of voters cast ballots in favor of the recall, removing Kinzie from office.[3]
The recall effort started after Kinzie voted in April 2021 in favor of a motion to enter into final negotiations to allow a wind energy company to place 50 to 70 wind turbines in the county. The motion passed with a vote of 2-1. Recall supporters said they were concerned that Kinzie or his family stood to financially benefit from the deal. Kinzie said, "I’ve given this community 45 years of my life and I’ll continue to do so until there’s no fight left."[4]
Kinzie was serving his fourth term on the three-member commission.[4][5]
Recall vote
Brian Kinzie recall, 2021
Brian Kinzie lost the Labette County Board of County Commissioners District Two recall election on December 7, 2021.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✖ | Yes |
58.8
|
844 | ||
No |
41.2
|
591 | |||
Total Votes |
1,435 | ||||
|
|
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Kansas
Before recall petitions can be circulated in Kansas, a district attorney or county attorney must certify that it meets specific legal grounds. The grounds are "conviction of a felony, misconduct in office or failure to perform duties prescribed by law," according to The Wichita Eagle.[4]
The petition against Kinzie was allowed to circulate due to misconduct. The Office of the Attorney General of Kansas found that Kinzie and fellow commissioner Cole Proehl violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act when they discussed county business on a phone call outside of a public commission meeting. The attorney general's office did not file formal charges against Kinzie and Proehl. Instead, it required the commissioners to take a refresher course on public meeting compliance.[4]
To get the recall on the ballot, supporters had to collect 1,202 signatures in 90 days. They submitted 1,582 signatures on August 30, 2021.[4] The county verified enough signatures on September 24, 2021, to put the recall on the ballot.[6]
Kinzie filed a challenge to the sufficiency declaration in Labette County District Court.[7] A senior judge denied his requests to stop the recall process.[8] The recall election was scheduled for December 7, 2021.[1]
See also
- Labette County, Kansas
- Recall campaigns in Kansas
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- County commission recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Labette County Clerk, "Official Ballot Special Election: December 7, 2021," accessed November 22, 2021
- ↑ Labette County Clerk, "2020 Primary Election Results," accessed November 22, 2021
- ↑ Parsons Sun, "Voters oust Kinzie in recall election," December 7, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The Wichita Eagle, "County commissioner faces recall in Kansas wind-farm battle," September 2, 2021
- ↑ Labette County, Kansas, "Board of County Commissioners," accessed October 11, 2021
- ↑ Parsons Sun, "Clerk: Recall petition is sufficient," September 25, 2021
- ↑ Parsons Sun, "Judge denies restraining order, writ," October 22, 2021
- ↑ Parsons Sun, "Kinzie files notice of appeal," October 30, 2021
