State Feed: Oklahoma

Citizens' Rights Safe in Many States as State Legislatures End Sessions

Tue, 18 May 2010 14:23:59 -0400

Of the 45 states whose legislatures hold sessions in 2010, 27 of them have adjourned for the year, and 5 more will wrap up before the end of the month. Of the more than 80 bills dealing with the initiative and referendum process in various states, 51 of them would have reduced citizens’ initiative rights. Thanks to the work of activists in our coalitions, only 3 bills reducing citizen’s rights have passed and become law.

Oklahoma: Former "Oklahoma 3" Petitioner Paul Jacob Pays Visit to OK Libertarians

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:38:35 -0400

Meeting with members of the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma at a dinner a few weeks ago, Paul Jacob, the Virginia-based ballot initiative and referendum rights and legislative term limits activist, spoke about his experience in Oklahoma in 2007. This was where he was indicted on a charge of conspiracy to defraud the state for hiring out-of-state petitioners. “I have not been back in Oklahoma since then,” Jacob said to the Libertarians gathered at a Chinese restaurant in Oklahoma City. “And what’s interesting is that interest outside the state more than it was here in Oklahoma.”

Oklahoma: Sales tax meausure put on city ballot

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:05:31 -0400

Miami voters will be asked to approve a sales tax for street work during a special election in July. A divided City Council this week approved an ordinance and resolution to place a sales tax of 0.65 percent before voters on July 27, the date of the primary election for federal, state and county offices. In a May 2009 election, voters defeated a proposed 1-cent sales tax for street projects, with 327 voting in favor and 380 voting “no.”

Oklahoma: Calls for limit to legislative referrals to ballot

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:32:59 -0500

House Speaker Chris Benge said he is ready to discuss limiting the number of state questions that will appear on the November ballot. Last session, lawmakers put eight questions on the ballot ranging from voter identification at the polls to Senate approval of a governor’s selection of judges to serve on the workers’ compensation court — two issues Gov. Brad Henry vetoed.

Read the story from The Oklahoman

Oklahoma: Jail may be on December ballot

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:59:26 -0500

Oklahoma County voters could be asked in December to fund a new Oklahoma County Jail, District 3 County Commissioner Ray Vaughn said Wednesday at a meeting of the Edmond Noon Exchange Club. County Commissioners have until October to decide the location in order to have a ballot initiative this year, he said. The U.S. Department of Justice issued a report in 2008 that the jail is understaffed and overcrowded. Several million dollars’ worth of settlement have been paid by the government due to substandard conditions.

Oklahoma: Increased term limits has support

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:11:01 -0500

Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly support a proposed state constitutional amendment that would extend term limits to all statewide offices, the latest Oklahoma Poll found. More than three-fourths of the 621 likely voters surveyed said they favor the proposed amendment, which is expected to appear on a statewide ballot this year. Only 17 percent opposed the idea. The proposition, State Question 747, would limit lieutenant governors, attorneys general, state auditors, labor commissioners, insurance commissioners and superintendents of public instruction to two four-year terms.

Public education measure on Oklahoma ballot next year

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:50:32 -0500

In a little less than a year, Oklahoma residents will go to polls to decide the fate of a proposed constitutional amendment that would mandate the state provide more funding to public schools. The measure is state question 744, dubbed “HOPE” or “Helping Oklahoma Public Education” by its creators.

Read the story from KXII 12

Ballot measure for education in Oklahoma could have tough road

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:35:15 -0400

The 2010 elections may seem far off. But in the state Capitol folks are already lining up their message and jockeying. Which can only mean the next legislative season will interesting. Lawmakers up for re-election will either be overly cautious, not wanting to offend or they’ll be outlandish, hoping to garner attention and get their name out.

Read the story from The Oklahoman

Petition drive falls short

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:15:55 -0400

A newly created TIF district will apparently remain in place after a petition drive failed to produce the requisite number of signatures, according to petition sponsors. In a press conference Monday at the Marshall County Courthouse, spokesperson John Wigley of Kingston announced that the group of volunteers working to gather signatures came up about 100 names short.

Non-partisan election measure does not have the signatures to qualify for ballot

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:09:09 -0400

Tulsa County District Judge Jefferson Sellers said in his ruling that the Tulsa City Clerk’s Office used the wrong election to determine the required number of signatures of registered voters. State law says that a petition needs to be signed by at least 25 percent of the number of voters in the preceding general election to be deemed sufficient. Proponents of the petition said they had not decided whether to appeal the ruling because they faced a Sept. 10 deadline to get the issue on this November’s ballot.

Hearing to decide validity of petition

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:41:04 -0400

The 9:30 a.m. hearing before Tulsa County District Judge Jefferson Sellers will decide whether City Councilor John Eagleton has raised legitimate arguments in the petition protest he filed earlier this month. Tulsans for Better Government filed the petition with the City Clerk’s Office in early May 2008. The group had 90 days from that initial filing to collect signatures. It submitted 6,994 signatures attached to a copy of the petition on Aug. 1, 2008.

Initiative & Referendum Efforts Have Deep Roots in Oklahoma

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:53:32 -0400

We have had a pretty busy year working to expand the initiative process here at Oklahomans for Initiative Rights. But, as the History of Initiative & Referendum page here on the Citizens in Charge Foundation site can tell you, the fight for citizen-controlled government in Oklahoma has been going on for 110 years! The battle for initiative rights started before Oklahoma was even a state, and I can promise you it isn’t about to stop!

Group supporting child-welfare system changes will try again to gather signatures for ballot measure

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:52:24 -0400

A group pushing to overhaul Oklahoma’s child welfare system will host its second rally in less than two weeks today at the Oklahoma County Juvenile Justice Center. The rally will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the center, 5905 N Classen Blvd. The rally is sponsored by the Oklahoma Family Rights Coalition, which has circulated initiative petitions twice this year calling for a public vote on overhauling the child welfare system. The group withdrew its first initiative petition in April after gathering only about 85,000 of the 117,013 necessary signatures within the 90-day period allowed.

Oklahoma protest period for Tulsa ballot measure will soon close

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:43:50 -0400

The protest period to challenge an initiative petition seeking a special election on whether to make municipal elections nonpartisan ends at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Protests must be filed in Tulsa County District Court. City Clerk Mike Kier ruled last week that the petition had a sufficient number of signatures from Tulsa residents to move forward. Of the nearly 7,000 signatures on the initiative petition, 6,675 had Tulsa addresses.

Read the story from Tulsa World

Is the Federal Government Stepping on States' Initiative Rights?

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:36:06 -0400

The Obama Justice Department has been slammed for attempting to meddle with a ballot initiative in Oklahoma. Several state lawmakers sent a “stern letter” to Attorney General Eric Holder blasting a letter sent by his office in April.

Signatures verified and accepted for Tulsa non-partisan election ballot measure

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:31:03 -0400

A petition for a vote to make the city’s municipal elections nonpartisan was ruled sufficient Thursday. City Clerk Mike Kier said that of the nearly 7,000 signatures on the initiative petition filed a year ago, 6,675 had Tulsa addresses. Only 3,427 valid signatures were needed to meet the state requirement for this type of petition, he said. Steve Schuller, a member of Tulsans for Better Government, said, “We are very pleased Mr. Kier made that determination and are looking forward to getting the question on the ballot in November so voters can amend the City Charter.”

Non-partisan elections could be up to voters in Tulsa this fall

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:19:02 -0400

Tulsa voters might get the chance to decide in November whether municipal elections should be nonpartisan. City Clerk Mike Kier was still working Wednesday to certify a nearly year-old initiative petition that has more than 6,000 signatures requesting the question be placed before voters. Kier said he expects to have a publication notice on the “sufficiency or insufficiency” of the petition by the end of the week.

Read the story from Tulsa World

Savanna voters to decide on sales tax increase

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:46:33 -0400

Wednesday is the last day for Savanna voters to apply for mailed absentee ballots for the July 14 special election. The measure on next week’s ballot would raise the city sales tax in Savanna from 3 percent to 5 percent to fund capital improvements to the town’s sanitary sewer system, for the acquisition of additional land if needed for the improvements, and for maintenance, including maintenance of the existing sewer system.

Read the story from McAlester News-Capital

Sequoyah County, OK to Vote on Liquor Sales

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:10:11 -0400

Polls open today in a special election to decide if licensed businesses will be able to sell liquor by the drink. Polls will be open from 7 AM to 7 PM.

Read the story from the Southwest Arkansas Times-Record

Ballot measures raise and eliminate taxes in Oklahoma county

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:45:13 -0400

Washington County voters by a 2-to-1 margin on Tuesday approved a proposal to construct a $14.5 million new jail that will replace an outdated facility that had been cited by the state for overcrowding. Residents approved the jail proposal, funded by a ½-cent sales tax, on a vote of 3,939 to 1,854 — a 68 percent approval rating. County voters also approved by an 84 percent margin a measure that will eliminate personal property tax.