Rep. Cody Maynard
This was deadline week in the Legislature. All bills had to pass their opposite legislative chamber to remain active this session.
The House passed Senate Bill 1027, which would change how signatures are gathered for initiative petitions designed to result in state questions put before voters on statewide ballots. This legislation would help ensure voters in rural counties are better represented in matters that could affect their way of life and potentially their taxes. It also would ensure the signatures gathered are legal and valid.
Current state law only requires a certain number of signatures to place a state question on a statewide ballot. There’s no consideration for where the signatures are gathered. They can all be from Tulsa and Oklahoma City, leaving people in other areas of the state – like ours – without a voice over issues that become law and govern all Oklahomans.
This measure establishes that the total number of signatures collected from a single county for an initiative petition or referendum petition to amend the Oklahoma Statutes shall not exceed 11.5% of the number of votes cast in that county during the most recent statewide general election for governor. For petitions to amend the Oklahoma Constitution, the cap is 20.8%. This helps maintain a better balance between large urban/suburban districts and smaller rural areas of our state.
The bill was amended in the House, so it returns to the Senate for final consideration.
Also passed was Senate Bill 263, which expands the Terry Peach Water Restoration Act. This would help us eradicate various invasive species throughout the state to reduce the threat they pose to our water supply and to public safety. These species can use as much as 150 gallons of water a day and pose a fire hazard. This work already has started in western Oklahoma, and this measure will extend it to other areas of the state.
Senate Bill 796 would restore our colleges to being merit based and would remove funding for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. It’s inappropriate to use taxpayer dollars on programs that implement an artificial preference system. This bill has been sent to the governor.
Senate Bill 995 would require rules promulgated by state agencies to be approved by the Legislature or else they would not go into effect. This would protect our citizens from state agencies passing rules that have the force of law without these being reviewed or approved by the entire Legislature.
Also this week, the state FFA choir visited both the House and the Senate. This choir is made up of FFA members from chapters from across the state. They’re an incredibly talented group of young people, and it was a pleasure to have them perform for us on the House floor.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It’s an honor to represent the great people of District 21.
