Req. No. 7062 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1031 By: Caldwell (Chad) AS INTRODUCED A Joint Resolution directing the Secretary of State to refer to the people for the ir approval or rejection a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma by adding a new Section 33A to Article V; requiring supermajority approval for certain state questions; providing for determination of increases in state expenditure s; prescribing wording for ballot title; providing procedures related to legislative referred measures; providing ballot title; and directing filing. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 58TH OK LAHOMA LEGISLATURE: SECTION 1. The Secretary of State shall refer to the people for their approval or rejection, as and in the manner provided by law, the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma by adding a new Section 33A to Article V thereof, to read as follows: A. If any state question, whether in the form of an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution or amendments, new law enactments or repeals, in any combination thereof, with respect to the Oklahoma Statutes, submitted to a popular v ote either by initiative petition Req. No. 7062 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 or in the form of a measure referred by the Legislature, would require an increase in the expenditures of any branch or department of state government, such question shall require the appro val of sixty percent (60%) of tho se voting on the question or such question shall not become effective or binding as law. B. Prior to the time that an initiative petition is filed with the Secretary of State, the proponents of the proposal shall obtain a certification from the State Audi tor and Inspector or an entity , including any successor entity, designated for such purpose by the Legislature by statute enacted after the approval of this question, whether the proposal will or will not increase state expenditures as described in subsect ion A of this section. If the certification concludes that there would be an increase in expenditures, the ballot title for the initiative petition shall contain the following statement at the beginning of the ballot title and shall precede any other wording: "The approval of this proposal has been determined by the State of Oklahoma to require an increase in state government expenditures and requires sixty percent (60%) approval in order to become adopted as law. " The wording for the ballot title as prescribed by this section may not be modified by the Attorney General. C. If any measure referred to a vote of the people by the Legislature, whether in the form of statutes or amendments to the Oklahoma Constitution, is determined to require an increase in state Req. No. 7062 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 expenditures, the ballot title for the measure shall comply with the requirements of subsection A and B of this section, and the chamber from which such measure originates shall obtain the certification from either the State Auditor and Inspector or the entity designated by law to provide the certification. The certification shall be obtained prior to the final passage of the measure and shall be obtained so that if the certification determines that an increase in state expenditures would be require d if the measure is approved, the ballot title for the measure shall conform to the requirements of subsection B of this section. The wording for the ballot title as prescribed by this section may not be modified by the At torney General. SECTION 2. The Ballot Title for the proposed Constitutional amendment as set forth in SECTION 1 of this resolution shall be in the following form: BALLOT TITLE Legislative Referendum No. ____ State Question No. ____ THE GIST OF THE PROPOSITION IS AS FOLLOW S: This measure amends the Oklahoma Constitution. It would add a new Section 33A to Article V. This amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution would apply to initiative petitions and to measures referred to the statewide ball ot by the Legislature. The measure would require a supermajority approval of certain types of state questions. It would apply to amendments to the Req. No. 7062 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Oklahoma Constitution. It would apply to amendments, new enactments or repeals, in any combination, to the Oklahoma Statutes. It would req uire sixty-percent (60%) approval if the state question would cause an increase in expenditures by any branch of state government, including the legislative branch, the executive branch or the judicial branch. If the State Auditor or Inspector or other st ate entity found that the proposal would require an increase in state expenditures, a certification of that fact would be issued. If a measure is certified to require an increase in expenditures, it will have a sentence in the ballot title. The sentence will read as follows: "The approval of this proposal has been determined by the State of Oklahoma to require an increase in state government expenditures and requires sixty percent (60%) approval in order to become adopted as law." SHALL THE PROPOSAL BE A PPROVED? FOR THE PROPOSAL — YES _____________ AGAINST THE PROPOSAL — NO _____________ SECTION 3. The Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, immediately after the passage of this resolution, shall pre pare and file one copy thereof, i ncluding the Ballot Title set forth in Req. No. 7062 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SECTION 2 hereof, with the Secretary of State and one copy with the Attorney General. 59-1-7062 LRB 12/13/2022