LANSING - Legislative Republicans early Friday approved big changes to the state's procedures for recalling elected officials, drawing withering criticism from Democrats who alleged it was an act of self-preservation in the wake of the passage of a right-to-work law earlier this week.

The legislation, approved 22-16 by the Senate around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, has a combined effect of making it more difficult to recall lawmakers, the governor and local officials, Democrats said. The GOP-controlled House, which approved an earlier version of the legislation last week, agreed with the changes on a 65-40 vote after 2 a.m. Friday.

One significant change would shorten the time to collect recall signatures from 90 to 60 days. Officials subject to recalls would have opponents instead of the existing system under which recall elections are an up-or-down vote.

The opponent would be selected in a primary election before the recall election - which Democrats said would delay the process. Recall petitions could not be filed against officials with two-year terms in the first six months or last six months of the term.

Those serving a longer term - such as state senators, who serve four years - could not face petitions in the first or last year of the term.

"Why are you making it more difficult to recall an officeholder?" said Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, days after the GOP quickly finalized a bill prohibiting unions from requiring workers to pay dues or fees as a condition of employment. "We are willing to work on this with you. Yet you jam it through in dark of night on the last night of a lame-duck session. ... You're trying to inoculate yourselves from a recall."

But Amber McCann, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, said the intent of the legislation is to cut down on "political gamesmanship," citing a flurry of recall attempts in 2011 that she said wasted time and taxpayers' money. That is when unions and Democrats opposed to the agenda of Gov. Rick Snyder and GOP lawmakers tried to respond with recalls.

In one instance, they successfully led a recall of Rep. Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc, for his role in a new law weakening the role of teacher tenure in Michigan and his votes to cut education funding. Critics of recalls say officials should not be subject to recall for votes or policy decisions, but instead only for official misconduct.

At least as initially introduced in late November, the recall legislation had bipartisan support from some lawmakers. A bulk of the hundreds of recalls in the state each year are at the local level and involve mayors, supervisors and other local officials.

In the Senate, 21 Republicans and one Democrat voted for the bills. Eleven Democrats and five Republicans voted against them.

The bills also would:

• require county election boards to determine whether the reasons for recalls are stated both "factually and clearly." County boards now look for "sufficient clarity" only.

• limit recall elections to May and November of each year.

• prevent elected officials from facing no more than one recall during their term of office.

Email David Eggert at deggert1@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter @DavidEggert00