Rep Ball offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 358.

            A resolution to express the sense of the House that recalls should be based on specific misconduct, criminal activity, or abuse of office and should not be based on a single vote and to denounce the effort to recall Speaker Andy Dillon.

            Whereas, The recall is a powerful tool in our democracy. Michigan is one of only 18 states that provide for the recall of state officers. Of these, seven provide that the recall may only be used when specific criteria, such as some threshold of misconduct, are involved; and

            Whereas, Observers of government have argued that the misuse of recalls can be detrimental to sound decision making, as short-term expediency can trump well-reasoned approaches to solving problems. The threat of recall for reasons other than some measure of misconduct undermines the foundation of our democratic republic. We elect men and women to exercise their judgment to the best of their abilities after fully considering all policy options. At each subsequent election, these men and women stand before voters and are fully accountable for their decisions; and

            Whereas, Many of the state's newspapers have expressed opposition to the misuse of recall, including the Detroit News, Redford Observer, Northville Record, Grand Rapids Press, Canton Eagle, Garden City Observer, Detroit Free Press, and Battle Creek Enquirer. Among these, the Detroit News, on April 28, 2008, stated that the recent recall efforts in Michigan are ". . . working against efforts to create a more cooperative and productive environment in the legislature." The February 5, 2008, Grand Rapids Press said "Political recalls should be reserved for the most egregious acts; not used as a retaliation for votes on a particular issue or as retribution against political adversaries." Referring to the pending November general election, the Redford Observer saw the proposed recall of the Speaker as basically meaningless and costly; and

            Whereas, Michigan's experience with recall seems to be a model of the potential for abuse at all levels of government. It has been used to intimidate and harass and stop the advancement of public policy. Over the past year, recall has been used to harm the legislative process, to thwart honest debate, and to create partisan rancor; and

            Whereas, The ongoing recall effort against the Speaker of the House is an example of an abuse of this mechanism; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That it is the sense of the House that recalls should be based on specific misconduct, criminal activity, or abuse of office and should not be based on a single vote; and be it further

            Resolved, That we stand together as a body to denounce the effort to recall Speaker Andy Dillon.