It’s time to start the petition drive to oust Sen. Louise Lucas from the Virginia Senate. The Virginian-Pilot blasted her in a stinging editorial for “filing suit against the very people she represents” for 97 million dollars.
“Lucas has rendered herself useless in the state Senate, at least when it comes to representing Portsmouth. If she and her companies press forward with the legal action, they’ll inflict tremendous financial damage on a city that is already struggling to educate its children, pay its law enforcement officers a competitive wage and provide other basic services.” Virginian-Pilot
Inflicting tremendous financial damage, huh. Well, let’s see what the law says about elected officials who do such things.
§ 24.2-233. Removal of elected and certain appointed officers by courts.
Upon petition, a circuit court may remove from office any elected officer or officer who has been appointed to fill an elective office, residing within the jurisdiction of the court:1. For neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties when that neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties has a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office
Sounds like Sen Lucas’ repeated attempts to bully her local government into allowing government financing of her private business interests, and a nearly 100 million dollar lawsuit against her constituents when she doesn’t get her way, sounds like it fits the bill for expulsion from the Senate.
First, what’s needed is a petition signed by a number equal to 10% of the voters in her last election. 20,571 voted in her rubber-stamp, unopposed election in 2007. That means 2,058 names on a petition would be needed to send Sen. Lucas to a Circuit Court judge.
If Sen. Lucas wants to take her constituents to court, maybe her constituents should do the same to her.
