TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma experienced significant shifts in policy through initiative petitions, including major changes such as the legalization of medical marijuana and new Medicare options.
However, Senate Bill 1027 could drastically alter this process, raising concerns among advocates of direct democracy.
SB 1027 introduces limitations on the initiative petition process, particularly targeting counties with populations exceeding 400,000 residents.
Under the proposed law, only 10% of the required verified signatures could originate from Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, which collectively house a substantial portion of the state's population.
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Republican Senator David Bullard, one of the bill's sponsors, argues that the measure aims to ensure broader representation.
"If you're going to put something that all Oklahomans are going to have to live by, we want a larger number of Oklahomans in other counties to have a say," he said.
Critics, including Margaret Kobbs, founder of the nonpartisan group Oklahoma United, contend that this move undermines the voices of residents in urban areas.
“It would minimize most of our population who live in larger population centers,” Kobbs stated. “Oklahoma and Tulsa counties would not have much of a say in whether they could even sign a petition, much less vote for it.”
Currently, individuals wishing to sign initiative petitions need only provide their name, address, and signature.
Should SB 1027 pass, additional steps could complicate the process. For instance, signers would be required to affirm that they read the gist of the petition before affixing their signature. Bullard defends this requirement, asserting that it promotes transparency and ensures that individuals understand what they are signing.
“This just attests that you understand what you are signing your name to,” he said, emphasizing the need for honest feedback.
However, Kobbs argues that these requirements will create unnecessary obstacles for signature collectors, making it harder to gather the requisite number of signatures within the established timeframe.
"This is a burden that exceeds what we even require when we go in and vote for anyone," she remarked. “People in Oklahoma believe in freedom and exercising our choices. If someone wants to push for a state-wide vote on an issue, they should be able to do that without restraint.”
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In addition to the signature limitations, SB 1027 requires that all signature collectors be registered Oklahoma voters.
These changes come on top of the existing requirement to accumulate nearly 173,000 verified signatures within 90 days. Kobbs labeled the time constraint as "quite burdensome already," while Bullard argues that if Oklahomans are subject to the proposed laws, their signature gathering should be conducted locally rather than by out-of-state groups.
Further provisions in the bill would allow the Secretary of State to reject any initiative petition deemed to contain “subjective language.”
Additionally, it introduces a process that would enable individuals who signed a petition to withdraw their names.
SB 1027 has passed the Senate, with unanimous Republican support and all Democrats voting against it.
The bill now moves to the House for consideration. As proponents and critics prepare for the upcoming debate, the future of Oklahoma's initiative petition process hangs in the balance.
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