Bill restricting gathering signatures for Oklahoma ballot initiatives heads back to Senate

OKLAHOMA CITY — Legislation imposing restrictions on gathering signatures for initiative petitions moved one step closer to becoming law after House lawmakers approved a revised version Wednesday. 

Proponents of the bill called it “voter empowerment” and “common sense legislation,” while critics said it would limit voices of rural and urban Oklahomans and make it nearly impossible to get a state question on the ballot. 

Senate Bill 1027, authored by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, would limit the number of signatures that can be collected in each county to 11.5% of votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election for a statutory change and 20.8% for a constitutional change. He said this is meant to include rural voters in all parts of the initiative petition process who are usually left out.

Bill restricting gathering signatures for Oklahoma ballot initiatives heads back to Senate • Oklahoma Voice