The recall elections for two Democratic lawmakers has become a political soap opera — with subplots, new characters and daily developments — that Tuesday included a $350,000 donation from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court.

Senate President John Morse of Colorado Springs and Sen. Angela Giron of Pueblo face separate recall elections in their districts on Sept. 10 for supporting gun-control legislation in the 2013 session.

Bloomberg’s group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, supported the gun measures, which passed the Democratic-controlled legislature and were signed into law by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Bloomberg donated the money to Taxpayers for Responsible Democracy, which is fighting both recall efforts, according to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday.

Recall opponents were quick to point out that more than 17,000 individuals have donated to efforts supporting Morse and Giron.

“We want to thank every single one of those supporters, from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the people who gave five or 10 dollars,” said Jennie Peek-Dunstone, with Pueblo United for Angela. “They all play a role in fighting back against the ‘wave of fear’ that the recall proponents want to send across the country.”

Recall supporters pounced on the news.

“We represent the folks who live here, work here, and simply want their state back from the East Coast special interests like Mayor Bloomberg, who influenced this past legislative session,” said Jennifer Kerns, spokeswoman for the Basic Freedom Defense Fund.

Also on Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that voters do not have to participate in the recall portion of the ballot in order to cast a vote for a successor candidate.

The justices determined that a provision in the state constitution — one requiring Coloradans to vote “yes” or “no” on the recall portion of the question in order to have their vote for a candidate counted — conflicts with the U.S. Constitution.

A full written opinion from the Colorado Supreme Court will be released later. Justices Nathan Coat and Monica Marquez dissented, according to the court.

In addition Tuesday, the secretary of state determined Libertarian Jan Brooks failed to turn-in 575 valid voter signatures to become a candidate in the Morse recall in Senate District 11 in El Paso County.

That leaves Republican Bernie Herpin as the only candidate on the ballot in that recall. Voters first will be asked whether Morse should be recalled; the second portion of the ballot will have Herpin’s name. Republican George Rivera is on the ballot in the Giron recall.

A campaign finance complaint filed against Herpin and made public Tuesday alleges he violated campaign finance laws because his campaign spent more than $200 to support the recall but has not registered as an issues committee and has not disclosed expenditures. Herpin called the complaint “laughable.”

Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327, lbartels@denverpost.com or twitter.com/lynn_bartels