UPDATE: The Oklahoma Supreme Court will not rule on a request that the State Election Board place SQ 820 on the November ballot, as an alternative holding the matter in abeyance.
SQ 820 seeks to legalize leisure marijuana use for adults 21 and older in Oklahoma.
Proponents of the invoice requested for the State Election Board to place SQ 820 on the ballot.
The Supreme Court acknowledged it may not rule on the request.
“This matter is held in abeyance because the time period for filing objections to either the signatures or the ballot title has not yet expired,” the court docket’s order states.
Original Story
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Even although the deadline has come and gone for measures to make it on the ballot this November, there’s nonetheless uncertainty whether or not a proposal to legalize leisure marijuana will probably be voted on this yr.
Aug. 26 was the deadline for the measure to be finalized, in accordance to the State Election Board.
Michelle Tilley, the marketing campaign director for Yes on 820 turned in additional than sufficient for the query to make the ballot in early July, however the certification course of wasn’t completed in time. She blames how lengthy the state took to depend.
“The counts generally take two to three weeks. In fact, petitions of our size take five to seven days,” stated Tilley. “The fact that this process took 48 days is just ridiculous…we asked the Supreme Court to step in and ask the Election Board to go ahead and print and prepare State Question 820 on the ballot.”
In the submitting, she additionally included that the petition’s proponents “respectfully request that the Court expedite its consideration and resolution of this matter, including setting an expedited briefing and hearing schedule to give the election board time to comply.”
However, some really feel that may set a nasty precedent.
“If the court chooses to ignore state law here, then that could open a Pandora’s box on any type of state questions we’ve had in the history of Oklahoma,” stated Michael Kelsey, the Executive Vice President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association.
They teamed up with the State Chamber Research Foundation and Oklahoma Farm Bureau and filed a quick, pleading with the Supreme Court to not make an exception to the regulation.
“Our big concern is about the precedent that would be set in this case,” stated Ben Lepak, the Executive Director of The State Chamber Research Foundation. “It’s not actually about the state question that’s being considered.”
Rodd Moesel, the President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, added that the priority is about “protecting the process.”
The trio famous that whereas some consider the certification course of for the measure took longer than it ought to have, information exhibits that it really falls proper in step with the state’s historical past.
“In fact, it would be faster than most state questions to get to the ballot if this one was to be on the November ballot,” stated Lepak.
According to the temporary, of the 9 initiative petitions which have made it on the ballot within the final decade, solely three have made it on a ballot faster than SQ820 would have.
“I think the law’s pretty clear,” stated Moesel. “I feel like they’ve missed the deadline.”
The Supreme Court is predicted to decide this week.
story by The Texas Tribune Source link