The House Elections Committee on Monday voted 6-1 to advance Senate Bill 1027, a measure that changes how citizen-led ballot initiatives are circulated and presented to voters.

The bill directs the Secretary of State to approve the “gist” language for state questions, requires fiscal-impact and public-record disclosures, sets uniform county-by-county signature caps tied to the most recent general election turnout, requires that circulators be registered voters, and requires reporting of paid circulators and expenditures. The bill also requires those who fund signature-gathering to attest that donated funds were received from in-state sources; the bill text (page 7, line 22 of the amended copy reviewed in committee) states that reports must “attest that all donated funds were received from sources in the State.”

Why it matters: Supporters said the changes standardize process, protect the integrity of the initiative system and encourage participation outside metropolitan areas. Opponents said several provisions raise constitutional questions and centralize discretionary power in the Secretary of State.

The bill’s sponsor, Speaker Hilbert, described the measure as an election-integrity effort. Speaker Hilbert said, “The integrity of our election system is essential for our democracy to survive and thrive and that's what this legislation is about.”

Representative Dallins argued against the bill, saying it unduly restrains the initiative process. “Oklahoma's constitution begins with all political power is inherent in the people,” Dallins said. “This bill prioritizes politicians over people.” Dallins and others raised constitutional concerns about restricting who may collect signatures and about limiting out-of-state contributions.

Supporters said the county-by-county approach treats every county the same by using a percentage of the total votes in the most recent general election for that county. The sponsor described the statutory cap as 11.5% and the constitutional cap as 20.8% of those county-level totals.

Committee members also debated several operational items: whether the Secretary of State would have final authority over gist language, whether banning out-of-state contributions would survive judicial review given U.S. Supreme Court precedent, and whether the existing 90-day signature-collection window should be extended to aid rural outreach. The sponsor said litigation is an available check if the Secretary of State exceeds legal bounds.

The committee adopted a proposed committee substitute (PCS) before voting. The measure passed on a roll call of 6 ayes and 1 nay.

Votes at a glance: SB 1027 — do pass; 6 ayes, 1 nay.

What’s next: The bill will advance to further consideration in the House. Supporters and several members noted that litigants have in the past challenged initiative language and that courts can alter gist language after judicial review.