Two bills passed the Oklahoma House subcommittee on elections and redistricting yesterday that would affect the initiative and referendum process there.

HB 3350, from Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Oklahoma City, would expand the petitioning time from 90 days to one year and specifically outlaws harassment of petitioners, both of which would increase citizen participation. The measure also increases the penalties for those who collect fraudulent signatures as well as for those who fraudulently sign petitions.

The other bill, HB 2869, from Rep. Mike Shelton, D-Oklahoma City, bans per-signature payments to petitioners and requires people to register with the government to circulate petitions. These features inhibit the initiative process and make harassment of petitioners easier.

The bill is similar one defeated by citizen activists in Washington state this week. Both bills require circulators to be registered voters, which the U.S. Supreme Court has already struck down.