State leaders respond to concerns about recall election

JACKSON, Tenn. — Jackson-Madison County School Board member Doris Black is the first person to face a recall election in Madison County under House Bill 0983, which Gov. Bill Lee signed back in May.

Two local leaders who supported the law, Sen. Ed Jackson and Rep. Chris Todd, said they have no comment about the specific situation with Doris Black, but they’re encouraged to see the law being used as intended.

“I’m very pleased with how the citizens have responded to this opportunity for them to get a freedom and a liberty back that I thought they already had, and utilize that for the exact purpose that they wanted–to hold their leaders accountable,” Rep. Todd said.

“To this point it has been used as intended. There just needed an ability in this county,” Sen. Jackson said.

Doris Black has suggested in previous interviews that she was considering legal action, and might hire attorneys to challenge the law itself.

“When I decide if I’m going to take it to court, and if I am going to obtain legal counsel, then that is the appropriate time,” Black said in a September interview.

The bill only applied to Madison County, which experts say might pose a problem if challenged in court.

“It may be what’s considered a local legislative bill, and under state law, a local legislative bill has to begin with the county commission providing a 2/3rds vote asking for the bill,” Sean Evans, a political science professor at Union University, said.

Rep. Todd and Sen. Jackson say they’re expecting a legal challenge at some point.

“Now whether its the current situation or not, I’m not really sure, but I certainly expect there to be a challenge at some point,” Rep. Todd said.

“There’s a good chance there will be. We’ll see. That’s something that I can’t go into any details on, because theyre probably will be,” Sen. Jackson said.

If the law is deemed unconstitutional, the earliest a new law could pass is February 2020.