Recall targets Jindal

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 28, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Gov. Bobby Jindal became the target of a recall drive with papers officially filed Friday at the Secretary of State’s Office.

Jindal recently has been the target of angry criticism by bloggers, callers and e-mailers as well as protesters. He refuses to veto a measure that more than doubles legislators’ base pay approved during the just-ended regular legislative session.

On Friday Jindal refused three requests for an interview on the recall.

Instead his office released a prepared statement: “The voters of our state are angry that the Legislature more than doubled their own pay and I agree with them. It was excessive and they should reverse it. I’m sure more voters will take extraordinary steps to show their anger over the pay raise before this is all said and done — that’s how a democracy works.”

The Legislature adjourned Monday.

The pay raise legislation sits on Jindal’s desk where he can use his executive veto power. The pay raises become law on July 8 if Jindal does not veto it.

Jindal said during a news conference Tuesday that he would allow the pay raise to take effect.

During his governor’s campaign, Jindal pledged not to allow any legislative pay raise to become effective during the term in which it was approved. He said that would provide accountability to the voters.

Jefferson resident Ryan Fournier, a 32-year-old Republican, filed papers with the Secretary of State’s office launching the statewide petition drive. He did not return four calls seeking comment.

Secretary of State Jay Dardenne said Fournier faces an “incredible, formidable challenge” to gather signatures of one-third of the state’s 2.87 million voters — nearly 950,000 signatures — within 180 days. That’s what’s required to force a recall election under state law.

Dardenne said it would take a well-organized and well-funded operation at the level of a statewide political campaign to pull it off. “It seems almost insurmountable to gather that many signatures in a six-month period,” he said.

Petition organizers must get signatures of one-third of the registered voters in their election district within 180 days of formally starting petition drives.

Past recall efforts aimed at Democratic Govs. Edwin Edwards and Kathleen Blanco came up short, Dardenne said.