House seeks vote making it harder to get questions on ballot

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma House approved a measure on Tuesday that would make it more difficult for citizens to get state questions on the ballot.

The House voted 66-30, mostly along party lines with Democrats opposed, for House Joint Resolution 1027 to require signatures from a certain percentage of registered voters in each congressional district.

Under current law, initiative or referendum petitions only require signatures from a percentage of registered voters statewide.

Republican Rep. John Pfeiffer of Orlando says the intent of his bill is to give more influence to voters in rural parts of the state.

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“It would allow the people in my part of the world to not have the views of the two metropolitan areas forced upon them,” said Pfeiffer, who represents a rural district in northern Oklahoma.

To circumvent Oklahoma’s Republican-controlled Legislature, citizens have led several successful initiative petitions in Oklahoma in recent years. Among them are changes to the state’s criminal justice system, medical marijuana and, most recently, to expand Medicaid to the working poor.

Pfeiffer’s resolution now heads to the Senate for consideration. If approved, the measure would be sent to the people for a vote.