OKLAHOMA CITY (March 5, 2025)—Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small today praised members of the state Senate Judiciary Committee for advancing legislation that applies common-sense standards to Oklahoma’s initiative-petition process.

“The initiative-petition process should be transparent and above-board in all facets,” Small said. “Senate Bill 1027 would give Oklahomans greater confidence in the process and a better understanding of proposals put before them through the initiative-petition process.”

Senate Bill 1027 requires that the gist of a proposition, the description of a proposed ballot measure provided to voters, must use simple language that clearly describes the proposal and avoids jargon understood by only a subset of the population.

The bill also requires that those gathering signatures must be Oklahoma citizens who are registered to vote, and signature-gatherers must publicly reveal if they are being paid by outside entities to circulate a petition and identify their funders.

SB 1027 also requires that those who sign a petition must first read the full ballot title for the proposed measure.

The legislation also requires that initiative petitions receive signatures from Oklahomans across the state, not only those living within a few concentrated areas.

“It’s telling that the group trying to impose a California-style election system in Oklahoma, ‘Oklahoma United,’ is objecting so loudly to the idea that they must describe their proposal to voters in plain English, ensure that Oklahomans get to read the ballot title, and generate widespread citizen support before a measure can be placed on the ballot,” Small said.

“As we have seen in recent years, far-left groups have tried to game Oklahoma’s initiative-petition system to sneak through proposals that cannot make it through the thorough review of the legislative process,” Small continued. “There can be no better endorsement of SB 1027 than the opposition of a group that believes California’s fringe-left political system should be the model for Oklahoma.”

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs promotes the flourishing of the people of Oklahoma by advancing principles and policies that support free enterprise, limited government, personal responsibility, individual initiative, and strong families.