Oklahoma voters have filed two initiative petitions thus far in September, one to create a state holiday honoring Tulsa Race Massacre victims and another to guarantee a minimum number of bill hearings for each legislator. 

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 16 that State Question 836 is constitutional and may proceed. The ballot initiative, which seeks to overhaul Oklahoma’s primary election system and place all candidates on the same ballot, faced a challenge from the Oklahoma Republican Party. 

State Question 838 proposes designating June 1 as Greenwood Remembrance and Reconciliation Day. The initiated state statute, which requires 92,930 valid signatures to reach the ballot, would not have a fiscal impact. 

Chief proponent Francetta Mays, an associate pastor at the Vernon AME Church in Greenwood, told Oklahoma Voice the measure is aimed at recognizing the trauma the community has faced. 

State Question 839, titled the Legislative Bill Hearing Rights and Accountability Enforcement Act, would require legislative leaders to grant at least three bill committee hearings to every legislator upon request. Bills that pass through the committee stage would then require a full chamber vote. Violators could face civil penalties or expulsion from the Legislature. 

Charles Key, a former Republican state representative from Oklahoma City, is listed as one of the petition’s three proponents. He said the measure is aimed at curbing the influence of legislative leadership and special interest groups. 

“This isn’t about partisanship,” Key said in a written statement. “It’s about open government, public accountability and giving Oklahomans the voice they deserve in their own Legislature.”

While State Questions 838 and 839 must survive a 90-day challenge period to begin circulating petitions, State Question 837 is poised to begin gathering signatures in the coming weeks. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has also granted the Yes on 836 campaign a temporary waiver from the provisions of Senate Bill 1027, which adds several hurdles to the initiative petition process. A lawsuit challenging the bill is pending. 

The 90-day signature gathering period for State Question 837, which seeks to legalize recreational marijuana, will end on Nov. 4. 

Thoughts, questions or story ideas? Let me know at Kross@Oklahomawatch.org. 

— Keaton Ross

Note: This article was updated to correct the status of State Question 837.

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