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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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55	55	1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
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57	57	SENATE BILL 1011 By: Paxton
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
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65	65	An Act relating to initiative and referendum;
66	66	amending 34 O.S. 2011, Sec tion 8, as last amended by
67	67	Section 8, Chapter 125, O.S.L. 2020 (34 O.S. Supp.
68	68	2020, Section 8), which relates to filing of proposed
69	69	petition; imposing filing fee for certain petitions;
70	70	providing for reimbursement of filing fee un der
71	71	certain circumstances; and provi ding an effective
72	72	date.
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77	77	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
78	78	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 34 O.S. 2011, Section 8, as last
79	79	amended by Section 8, Chapter 125, O.S.L. 2020 (34 O.S. Supp. 2020,
80	80	Section 8), is amended to read as follows:
81	81	Section 8. A. When a citizen or citizens desire to circulate a
82	82	petition initiating a proposition of any nature, whether to become a
83	83	statute law or an amendment to the Constitution, or for the pu rpose
84	84	of invoking a referendum upon legis lative enactments, such c itizen
85	85	or citizens shall, when such petition is prepared, and before the
86	86	same is circulated or signed by electors, file a true and exact c opy
87	87	of same in the office of the Secretary of State and shall at the
88	88	same time file a separat e ballot title, which sha ll not be part of
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140	140	or printed on the petition. The Secretary of State shall charge and
141	141	collect a filing fee of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00); provided,
142	142	the total fee shall be reimburs ed upon qualification of the proposed
143	143	petition to be placed on a ballot pursuant to the require ments of
144	144	this title.
145	145	B. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to cause to
146	146	be published, in at least one newspaper of general circulation in
147	147	the state, a notice of such filing and the apparent suff iciency or
148	148	insufficiency of the petition, and shal l include notice that any
149	149	citizen or citizens of the state may file a protest as to the
150	150	constitutionality of the petition, by a written notice to the
151	151	Supreme Court and to the proponent or proponents filing the
152	152	petition. Any such p rotest must be filed with in ten (10) business
153	153	days after publication. A copy of the protest shall be filed with
154	154	the Secretary of State.
155	155	C. Upon the filing of a protest to the petition, the Supreme
156	156	Court shall then fix a day, not less than ten (10) busine ss days
157	157	thereafter, at which time it will hear testimony and arguments for
158	158	and against the sufficiency of such petition.
159	159	D. A protest filed by anyone hereunder may, if abandoned by the
160	160	party filing same, be revived within five (5) business days by any
161	161	other citizen. After such h earing the Supreme Court shall decide
162	162	whether such petition is in the form required by the statutes. If
163	163	the Court is at the time adjourned, the Chief Justice shall
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215	215	immediately convene the same for such hea ring. No objection to th e
216	216	sufficiency shall be co nsidered unless it has been made and filed as
217	217	herein provided.
218	218	E. Signature-gathering Deadline for Initiative Pe titions. When
219	219	an initiative petition has been filed in the office of the Secretary
220	220	of State and all appeals, protests and rehearings have been resolved
221	221	or the period for such has expired, the Secretary of State shall set
222	222	the date for circulation of signat ures for the petition to begin but
223	223	in no event shall the date be less than fifteen (15) days nor more
224	224	than thirty (30) days from the date when all appeals, protests and
225	225	rehearings have been resolved or have expired. Notification shall
226	226	be sent to the propo nents specifying the date on which circulation
227	227	of the petition shall begin and that the signa tures are due within
228	228	ninety (90) days of the date set. Each elector shall sign his or
229	229	her name and legibly print his or her name, birth date and address
230	230	associated with his or her Oklahoma voter registration record . Any
231	231	petition not filed in accordance w ith this provision shall not be
232	232	considered. The proponents of an initiative petition, any time
233	233	before the final submission of signatures, may withdraw the
234	234	initiative petition upon written notification to the Secret ary of
235	235	State.
236	236	F. Signature-gathering Deadline for Referendum Peti tions. All
237	237	signed signatures supporting a referendum petition shall be filed
238	238	with the Secretary of State not later than ninety (90) days after
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290	290	the adjournment of the legislative session in which the measure,
291	291	which is the subject o f the referendum petition , was enacted.
292	292	G. The proponents of a referendum or an initiative petition may
293	293	terminate the circulation period any time during the ninet y-day
294	294	circulation period by certifying to the Secret ary of State that:
295	295	1. All signed petitio ns have already been file d with the
296	296	Secretary of State;
297	297	2. No more petitions are in circulation; and
298	298	3. The proponents will not circulate any more petitions.
299	299	If the Secretary of State receives such a certification from the
300	300	proponents, the Secretary of St ate shall begin the count ing and
301	301	review process.
302	302	H. When the signed copies of a petition pamphlet are timely
303	303	filed, the Secretary of State shall file a copy of th e proponent’s
304	304	ballot title with the Attorney General and, after conducting a count
305	305	and review of the filed, signed pet ition pamphlets, the Secr etary of
306	306	State shall certify to the Supreme Court of the state:
307	307	1. The total number of signatures counted pursua nt to
308	308	procedures set forth in this title; and
309	309	2. The total number of votes cast for the stat e office
310	310	receiving the highest number of votes cas t at the last general
311	311	election.
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363	363	The Supreme Court shall make the determination of the numerical
364	364	sufficiency or insufficiency of the signatures counted and reviewed
365	365	by the Secretary of State.
366	366	I. Upon order of the Supreme Court it s hall be the duty of the
367	367	Secretary of State to forthwith cause to be published, in at least
368	368	one newspaper of general circulation in the sta te, a notice of the
369	369	filing of the signed petitions a nd the apparent sufficiency or
370	370	insufficiency thereof, and shall al so publish the text of th e ballot
371	371	title as reviewed and approved or, if applicable, as rewritten by
372	372	the Attorney General pursuant to the p rovisions of subsection D of
373	373	Section 9 of this title and notice that any citizen or citizens of
374	374	the state may file an objection to the count ma de by the Secretary
375	375	of State, by a written notice to the Supreme Court and to the
376	376	proponent or proponents filing the petition. Any such objection
377	377	must be filed within ten (10) business days after publicati on and
378	378	must relate only to the validity or number of the signatures or a
379	379	challenge to the ballot title. A copy of the objection to the count
380	380	or ballot title shall be filed with the Supreme Court, the Attorney
381	381	General and the Secretary of State.
382	382	J. Upon appeal and if ordered or d irected by the Supreme Co urt,
383	383	the Secretary of State shall deliver the bound volumes of signatures
384	384	to the Supreme Court.
385	385	K. Upon the filing of an objection to the signature count or
386	386	ballot title, the Supreme Court shall resolve th e objection with
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438	438	dispatch. The Supreme Court shal l adopt rules to govern proceedings
439	439	to apply to the challenge of a measure on the grounds that the
440	440	proponents failed to gather sufficient signatures.
441	441	L. If in the opinion of the Supreme Court, any objectio n to the
442	442	count or protest to the petition is frivo lous, the Court may impose
443	443	appropriate sanctions, including an award of costs and attorneys
444	444	fees to either party as the Court deems equitable.
445	445	M. Whenever reference is made in this act to the Supreme Court ,
446	446	such reference shall in clude the members of the Supreme Court or any
447	447	officer constitutionally designated to perform the duties herein
448	448	prescribed.
449	449	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective Novembe r 1, 2021.
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451	451	58-1-966 TEK 1/21/2021 9:10:42 PM

Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1011 Compare Versions