What gives a citizen the right to begin a recall of a U.S. Senator?
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Moreover, the 10th Amendment states that what is not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution is left to the states or to the people. And the 17th Amendment holds that Senators shall be elected by the people of each state and that electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature. Under these constitutional mandates, the people in any state have the right to recall a U.S. Senator or Representative as provided by their state’s law, in their state Constitution, or statutes. Today, 17 states have recall provisions in their state constitutions and one (Montana) has a recall statute. Six of those states provide for recall just for officials who serve only within their own states, with one more providing for recall of Members of
