Oklahoma 2023 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB518 Compare Versions

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3		-	ENGR. S. B. NO. 518 Page 1 1
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28		-	ENGROSSED SENATE
29		-	BILL NO. 518 By: Daniels and Bullard of the
30		-	Senate
	29	+	SENATE FLOOR VERSION
	30	+	February 7, 2023
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32		-	and
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34		-	Lepak of the House
	33	+	SENATE BILL NO. 518 By: Daniels and Bullard
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38	39		An Act relating to initiative and referendum ;
39	40		amending 34 O.S. 2021, Sections 1, 2 and 8, which
40	41		relate to form, publication, and protest; modifying
41	42		information required for inclusion on certain form s;
42	43		authorizing Secretary of State to charge certain
43	44		filing fee for certain purpose; requiring certain
44	45		publication on website; requiring notice to certain
45	46		officers; increasing time period for certain protest
46	47		or objection; updating statutory langua ge; and
47	48		declaring an emergency .
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52	53		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
53	54		SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 34 O.S. 2021, Section 1, is
54	55		amended to read as follows:
55	56		Section 1. A. The referendum petition shall be substantially
56	57		as follows:
57	58		PETITION FOR REFERENDUM
58	59		To the Honorable ____________, Governor of Oklah oma (or To the
59	60		Honorable ____________, Mayor, Chairman of C ounty Commissioners, or
60	61		other chief executive officer, as the case may be, of the city,
61	62		county or other municipal corporation of ____________):
62	63		We, the undersigned legal voters of the State of Okla homa (or
63	64		district of __________, county of ____________, or city of
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90	92		____________, as the cas e may be), respectfully order that Senate
91	93		(or House) Bill No. __________ (or ordinance No. ____________),
92	94		entitled (title of Act, and if the petition is against l ess than the
93	95		whole Act, then set forth here the part or par ts on which the
94	96		referendum is sought), passed by the ____________ Legislat ure of the
95	97		State of Oklahoma, at the regular (or special) session of said
96	98		legislature, shall be referred to the people of t he State (district
97	99		of ____________, county of ____________, or city of ____________, as
98	100		the case may be) for their approval or reject ion at the regular (or
99	101		special) election to be held on the ________ day of ____________,
100	102		20__, and each for himself says: I have personally signed this
101	103		petition; I am a legal voter of the State of Oklahoma (and dis trict
102	104		of __________, county of __________ __, or city of ____________, as
103	105		the case may be); the following five data points shall be included
104	106		on the form: the voter ’s legal first name, legal last name, zip
105	107		code, house number and numerical month and day of my birth.
106	108		Referendum petitions shall be fil ed with the Secretary of State
107	109		not more than ninety (90) days after the final adjournment of the
108	110		session of the legislature which passe d the bill on which the
109	111		referendum is demanded. (For county, city or o ther municipality the
110	112		length of time shall be thir ty (30) days.)
111	113		The question we herewith submit to our fellow voters is: Shall
112	114		the following bill of the legislature (or ordinance or r esolution--
113	115		local legislation) be approved? (Ins ert here an exact copy o f the
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140	143		text of the measure followed by proponents o f record (not to exceed
141	144		three signatures, complete printed name and address associated with
142	145		his or her Oklahoma voter registration reco rd).)
143	146		B. In order for the signature to be appr oved by the Secretary
144	147		of State, three four or more data points described i n subsection A
145	148		of this section must be matched to the voter registration file.
146	149		SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 34 O.S. 2021, Section 2, is
147	150		amended to read as f ollows:
148	151		Section 2. A. The form of initiative petit ion shall be
149	152		substantially as follows:
150	153		INITIATIVE PETITION
151	154		To the Honorable ______________, Governor of Oklah oma (or To the
152	155		Honorable ______________, Mayor, Chairman o f County Commissione rs,
153	156		or other chief execu tive officers, as the case may be, for the ci ty,
154	157		county or other municipal ity): We, the undersigned legal voters of
155	158		the State of Oklahoma (and of the dis trict of _______________,
156	159		county of _______________, or ci ty of ______________ __, as the case
157	160		may be), respectfully order that the following propos ed law (or
158	161		amendment to the constitution, ordinance, or amendment to the city
159	162		charter, as the case may be) sh all be submitted to the legal voters
160	163		of the State of Oklah oma (or of the distr ict of ______________,
161	164		county of ______________, or city of _________ _____, as the case may
162	165		be) for their approval or rejection at the regular general election
163	166		(or regular or special city election), to be held on the _____ day
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190	194		of _________, 20__, and each for himself says: I hav e personally
191	195		signed this petition; I am a leg al voter of the State of Okla homa
192	196		(and of the district of _________, county of __________________,
193	197		city of ______________, as the case may be); the following five data
194	198		points shall be included on the form: the voter’s legal first name,
195	199		legal last name, zip code, house number, and numerical month and day
196	200		of my birth. The time for filing this petition expires ninety (90)
197	201		days from (Secretary of State to insert assigned date when petition
198	202		is to begin signature circulation). (This for State initiative.
199	203		For county, city, or other municipality the length of time shall be
200	204		ninety (90) days.) The question we herewith submit to our fellow
201	205		voters is: Shall the following bill (or proposed amend ment to the
202	206		Constitution or resolution) be approved? (Insert here an exact cop y
203	207		of the text of the measure followed by proponents of record (not to
204	208		exceed three signatures, complete printed na me and address
205	209		associated with his or her Oklahoma voter regist ration record).)
206	210		B. In order for the signature to be approved by the Secretary
207	211		of State, three four or more data points described in subsection A
208	212		of this section must be matched to the voter r egistration file.
209	213		SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 34 O.S. 2021, Section 8, is
210	214		amended to read as follows:
211	215		Section 8. A. When a citizen or citizens desire to circulate a
212	216		petition initiating a proposition of any nature, whether to become a
213	217		statute law or an amendment to the Constitution, or for the purpose
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240	245		of invoking a referend um upon legislative enactm ents, such citizen
241	246		or citizens shall, when such petition is prepared, and before the
242	247		same is circulated or signed by electors, file a true and exact c opy
243	248		of same in the office of the Secretary of State and shall at the
244	249		same time file a separate ballot titl e, which shall not be part of
245	250		or printed on the petition. The Secretary may charge a filing fee
246	251		not to exceed Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00) to cover the
247	252		cost of publication of notice as required by subsection B of this
248	253		section.
249	254		B. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to cause to
250	255		be published, on the website of the Office of the Secretary o f State
251	256		and in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the state, a
252	257		notice of such filing and the apparent sufficien cy or insufficiency
253	258		of the petition, and shall include notice that any citizen or
254	259		citizens of the state may file a protest as to the constitutionality
255	260		of the petition, by a written notice to the Supreme Court and to the
256	261		proponent or proponents filing the p etition. Notice of such filing
257	262		shall be provided to the President Pro Tem pore of the Senate and the
258	263		Speaker of the House of Rep resentatives. Any such protest must be
259	264		filed within ten (10) twenty (20) business days after publication.
260	265		A copy of the protest shall be filed with the Secr etary of State.
261	266		C. Upon the filing of a pro test to the petition, the Supreme
262	267		Court shall then fix a da y, not less than ten (10) business days
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289	295		thereafter, at which time it will hear testimony and arguments for
290	296		and against the sufficiency of such petition.
291	297		D. A protest filed by anyone hereunder may, if abandoned by the
292	298		party filing same, be revived within f ive (5) business days by a ny
293	299		other citizen. After such h earing the Supreme Court shall decide
294	300		whether such petition is in t he form required by the statu tes. If
295	301		the Court is at the time adjourned, the Chief Justice shall
296	302		immediately convene the same for s uch hearing. No objection to the
297	303		sufficiency shall be co nsidered unless it has been made and filed as
298	304		herein provided.
299	305		E. Signature-gathering Deadline for Initiative Petitions. When
300	306		an initiative petition has been filed in the office of the Secretary
301	307		of State and all appeals, pr otests and rehearings have been resolved
302	308		or the period for such has expired, the Secretary of Stat e shall set
303	309		the date for circulation of signatures for the petition to be gin but
304	310		in no event shall the date be less than fifteen (15 ) days nor more
305	311		than thirty (30) days from the date when all appeals, protests and
306	312		rehearings have been resolved or have exp ired. Notification shall
307	313		be sent to the proponents specifying the date o n which circulation
308	314		of the petition shall begin and that th e signatures are due withi n
309	315		ninety (90) days of the date set. Each elector shall sign his or
310	316		her name and legibly print his or her name, birth date and address
311	317		associated with his or her Oklahoma voter registration record. Any
312	318		petition not filed in accor dance with this provision shall not be
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339	346		considered. The proponents of an initiative petition, any time
340	347		before the final subm ission of signatures, may wit hdraw the
341	348		initiative petition upon written n otification to the Secretary of
342	349		State.
343	350		F. Signature-gathering Deadline for Referendu m Petitions. All
344	351		signed signatures supporting a referendum petition shall be filed
345	352		with the Secretary of State not later than ninety (90) days after
346	353		the adjournment of th e legislative session in which the measure,
347	354		which is the subject of the referendum pe tition, was enacted.
348	355		G. The proponents of a referendum or an initiative petition may
349	356		terminate the circulation period any time during the ninety-day
350	357		circulation period by certifying to the Secretary of State that:
351	358		1. All signed petitions have already bee n filed with the
352	359		Secretary of State;
353	360		2. No more petitions are in circulation; and
354	361		3. The proponents will not circulate any mo re petitions.
355	362		If the Secretary of State rece ives such a certification from the
356	363		proponents, the Secretar y of State shall begin the counting and
357	364		review process.
358	365		H. When the signed copies of a petition pamphlet are timely
359	366		filed, the Secretary of State shall file a copy of the proponent’s
360	367		ballot title with the Attorney General and, after conducting a count
361	368		and review of the filed, sign ed petition pamphlets, the Secr etary of
362	369		State shall certify to the Supreme Court of the state:
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389	397		1. The total number of signatur es counted pursuant to
390	398		procedures set forth in this title; and
391	399		2. The total number of votes cast for t he state office
392	400		receiving the highest number of votes cas t at the last general
393	401		election.
394	402		The Supreme Court shall make the de termination of the numerical
395	403		sufficiency or insufficiency of the signatur es counted and reviewed
396	404		by the Secretary of State.
397	405		I. Upon order of the Supreme Cour t it shall be the duty of the
398	406		Secretary of State to forthwith cause to be published, in at least
399	407		one newspaper of general circu lation in the state, a notice of the
400	408		filing of the signed petitions and the apparent sufficiency or
401	409		insufficiency thereof, and sh all also publish the text of th e ballot
402	410		title as reviewed and approved or, if applicable, as rewri tten by
403	411		the Attorney General pursuant to the provisions of subsection D o f
404	412		Section 9 of this title and notice that any citizen or ci tizens of
405	413		the state may file an objection to the count ma de by the Secretary
406	414		of State, by a written notice to the Supreme Co urt and to the
407	415		proponent or proponents filing the petition. Any such obj ection
408	416		must be filed within ten (10) twenty (20) business days after
409	417		publication and must relate only to the validit y or number of the
410	418		signatures or a challenge to the ballot title. A copy of the
411	419		objection to the count or ballot titl e shall be filed with the
412	420		Supreme Court, the Attorney General and the Secretary o f State.
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439	448		J. Upon appeal and if ordered or directed by th e Supreme Court,
440	449		the Secretary of State shall deliver the bound vol umes of signatures
441	450		to the Supreme Court.
442	451		K. Upon the filing of an objection to the signature count or
443	452		ballot title, the Supreme Cou rt shall resolve the objec tion with
444	453		dispatch. The Suprem e Court shall adopt rules to govern proceedings
445	454		to apply to the challenge of a measure on the gr ounds that the
446	455		proponents failed to gather sufficient signatures.
447	456		L. If in the opinion of the Supreme Court, any objection to th e
448	457		count or protest to the petit ion is frivolous, the Court may impose
449	458		appropriate sanctions , including an award of costs and attorneys
450	459		attorney fees to either party as the Court deems equitable.
451	460		M. Whenever reference is made in t his act to the Supreme Cou rt,
452	461		such reference shall includ e the members of the Supreme Court or any
453	462		officer constitutionally designated to perform the dut ies herein
454	463		prescribed.
455	464		SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
456	465		of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
457	466		declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effec t and
458	467		be in full force from and after its passage a nd approval.
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485		-	Passed the Senate the 8th day of March, 2023.
486		-
487		-
488		-
489		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate
490		-
491		-
492		-	Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________,
493		-	2023.
494		-
495		-
496		-
497		-	Presiding Officer of the House
498		-	of Representatives
499		-
	468	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
	469	+	February 7, 2023 - DO PASS