Lawmaker calling for reforms, protections to ballot measure process in Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — State Rep. Mickey Dollens (D-Oklahoma City) is calling for further protections to Oklahoma's ballot initiative process that allows voters to have a direct say on certain issues.
He held on a study on the issue on Monday afternoon at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
In a press release, Rep. Dollens explained that he wanted to, "examine tactics that undermine the citizen-led ballot initiative process and consider several common-sense reforms to safeguard direct democracy."
As recently as March, Oklahoma voters weighed in on State Question 820, which sought to legalize recreational marijuana use in the state.
The measure failed. According to Oklahoma State Election Board data, 61.67 percent of voters rejected the proposal, while only 38.33 percent voted in favor.
Michelle Tilley, the former director of Yes on 820 campaign, asserted that through the ballot initiative process, Oklahoma citizens, "are the ones who come up with the ideas. They are the ones who are getting together at coffee shops, in churches, and in their homes and they're upset because we couldn't get Medicaid expansion."
She shared that voters have used that process to bring change to the state that wouldn't have happened otherwise, like Medicaid expansion in 2020 through State Question 802. Tilley was also involved in the SQ 802 campaign as its political director.
Rep. Dollens shared what changes he wants to see to protect ballot initiatives.
He encouraged his fellow lawmakers to adopt measures, "safeguarding from foreign-influenced political spending. I fully believe that we should fully fund the ethics commission so that they can do their duty of... overseeing campaign finance."
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He also called for expanding the time period to gather signatures—which is currently 90 days, allowing for electronic signatures instead of just pen and paper signatures, a deadline for signature verification, and having state question votes happen during general elections to save money.
Trent England, executive director of the organization Save our States, shared some criticisms of the process.
"I don't think there's anyone here in this room that would be happy with the outcomes of direct democratic processes all of the time," he noted.
To improve governance, he advocated for expanding the number of lawmakers in the state legislature so each representative and senator had a small number of constituents.
Oklahoma is one of 26 states and the District of Columbia that has a ballot initiative or referendum process.
In the Sooner State, ballot measures just need a simple majority to pass.
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