Small RI town seeks recall of town council over obstruction of concealed carry permits

Posted by William A. Jacobson Friday, October 18, 2013 at 7:22am



Exeter, Rhode Island has certified a recall election of all four Democratic Town Council members.

Exeter, Rhode Island, is a town of about 6000 residents.

When the town council proposed handing off issuance of concealed carry permits to the State Attorney General’s office, town residents feared this would be the first step in making it harder to obtain permits. And the town is revolting against the move with a recall petition drive that has qualified for a town-wide vote.

A press release by the group, called We The People of Exeter, states in part:

October 17, 2013

EXETER, RI – We the People of Exeter is announcing the grassroots effort to seek redress of our concerns has been successful. The Exeter Board of Canvassers has certified the recall of four town councilors initiated by the hard working Exeter citizens, who were ignored and dismissed, by those councilors while trying to protect their constitutional rights.

“If these four councilors had spent as much time talking to the citizens of Exeter as they have spent talking to the press the past few weeks, we would not be here”, said petitioner Joseph St. Lawrence.

While firearms licensing was the subject of the underlying debate, this is not, as some members of the council falsely claim, merely a firearms issue. First, they refused to listen to constructive criticism regarding the rights of the citizens by limiting comment and frustrating Exeter residents who were unable to speak on the issue. Now, they dismiss petitions from 600 citizens as petty. This is just the arrogant and unresponsive attitude that galvanized this recall….

We did not choose the process or set the recall rules, but are working within the town charter to hold the town council accountable. This is democracy at work. At the upcoming election, we urge the voters of Exeter to make your voices heard and vote in favor of recall.

Here is a video of the March 11, 2013 public meeting that sparked the recall petition:

Video at LINK