LITTLE ROCK, AR – Thousands of Arkansans are backing a petition calling for the resignation of state representative Justin Harris.
This comes after the controversy surrounding Harris re-homing his adopted children to a man later convicted of sexually assaulting one of them.
19 states give voters the right to remove an elected official from office, but Arkansas is not one of them. However, according to the State Constitution, a state representative can be removed by a two-thirds vote of the house.
Constitutional law attorneys tell us that signing an online petition will not get results in Arkansas.
“Arkansas doesn’t have a recall provision. The petition drives, don’t have any legal weight because there’s not a provision under the Arkansas law to carry out any kind of recall,” says Nate Coulter.
He also says, aside from an internal recall by the House of Representatives or Senate voters would have to wait until the next election to vote someone out of office.
Representative Harris is up for re-election in 2016.
This comes after the controversy surrounding Harris re-homing his adopted children to a man later convicted of sexually assaulting one of them.
19 states give voters the right to remove an elected official from office, but Arkansas is not one of them. However, according to the State Constitution, a state representative can be removed by a two-thirds vote of the house.
Constitutional law attorneys tell us that signing an online petition will not get results in Arkansas.
“Arkansas doesn’t have a recall provision. The petition drives, don’t have any legal weight because there’s not a provision under the Arkansas law to carry out any kind of recall,” says Nate Coulter.
He also says, aside from an internal recall by the House of Representatives or Senate voters would have to wait until the next election to vote someone out of office.
Representative Harris is up for re-election in 2016.
