Governor, County Clerk Clash Over Recall Election
DENVER (CBS4) - Colorado's governor and the county clerk in El Paso County are clashing over a recall election that was prompted by the gun debate.
Clerk Wayne Williams, a Republican, is accusing Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, of dragging his feet on setting an election date in the planned recall election of state Senate President John Morse, a Democrat. He said that puts the election in jeopardy.
The governor is bound by the state Constitution to set an election 30 to 60 days after the Secretary of State's office deems the petition sufficient. That happened July 5, which means the election would legally have to happen by Sept. 3.
But Hickenlooper has refused to set the date, and Morse is appealing to district court.
The governor's office says the Constitution conflicts with the state statute which says he can't set a date until "time for protests has passed."
A recall election of a state lawmaker has never happened before in state history.
