Lawsuit challenges changes to California recall process

SACRAMENTO — An antitax group filed a lawsuit Thursday that alleges Democrats violated the California constitution when they changed the state’s recall election process to try to save a senator facing a recall.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and several activists say the changes illegally draw out the process for removing lawmakers from office.

The association, the California Republican Party and conservative talk-radio hosts in Southern California are looking to remove Democratic Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton from office over his vote for a gas tax increase earlier this year. Replacing Newman with a Republican would eliminate the Democrats’ supermajority that allows them to raise taxes without Republican votes.

“The Legislature has pulled out all the stops to silence the voice of taxpayers and undermine the people’s right to a fair and democratic process,” the organization’s president, Jon Coupal, said in a statement.

Democratic legislators approved new recall rules last month as part of the state budget. Their changes give people time to rescind their signatures from recall petitions and let lawmakers weigh in on the potential costs of holding a recall election.

That could delay an election to remove Newman by several months, potentially allowing it to coincide with next year’s statewide primary or general election, which has much higher turnout.