Steve Fair of the “Fair and Biased” blog opposes the latest move to restrict Oklahoma’s already quite hamstrung and restrictive citizen initiative process. We find it hard to disagree.

Oklahoma State Representative Jabar Shumate is seeking legislation to allow petition signers to contact the Oklahoma secretary of state’s office to remove their names from the petition if they have second thoughts. One can imagine how eagerly monkey-wrenchers of a petition drive would sign up just in order to be able to later withdraw their names and thus gum up the works.

Section 24, Article 3 of the Oklahoma Constitution states, This article shall not impair the right of the people to amend this Constitution by a vote upon an initiative petition therefore….

Shumate’s proposal impairs Oklahomans the right to the initiative petition process, which clearly violates the Oklahoma Constitution. The legislature should focus on reducing the required number of signatures and allowing a longer timeline for signature collection. The initiative petition process is one that has served Oklahoma well. Let’s make sure it is not “fixed” so it doesn’t work.

Of course, signing a petition to post a question on the ballot is not the same sort of permanent action as voting itself. There is already a way to reverse one’s judgment in supporting the petition; i.e., by voting against the petition question should it reach ballot. And, so far, nobody is arguing that voters should also be allowed do-overs in the days and weeks following an election. Perhaps citizens should take a little responsibility for the acts they perform as citizens?

Fair also comments on the recent attempt to jail petitioners in Oklahoma. Citing the recent Wall Street Journal editorial on Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s indictment of the Oklahoma Three, he agrees that they are being railroaded and that “Edmondson’s prosecution of Paul Jacob is politically motivated.”