I am scanning the bills filed in the Ok Legislature and I just want you to know it is increasingly apparent that our legislators are *pretty upset* that the voters continue to utilize initiative petitions to change OK laws. #okleg
So far there have been 4 Senate Joint Resolutions and 2 House Joint Resolutions filed which in some form or fashion ask the Secretary of State to add to the next ballot a referendum which will significantly increase the number of signatures required to get on the ballot.
Some of them seek to make sure there is equal representation from all congressional districts, some of them solely want to increase the number of signatures required, and one of them wants the same percentage of signatures from each county.
Since Oklahomans have used the initiative petition process to pass many significant law changes in the last five years (including criminal justice reforms (SQ780/781), Medicaid expansion (SQ802), and medical marijuana (SQ788)) this is something that should concern all of us.
I find it unlikely that Okies would pass a restriction on their right to pass laws by popular vote (they need a vote of the people to change requirements for a vote of the people) it is still a concerning movement to further reject the will of the people in our state.
[THREAD] I went to law school to be a prosecutor. I was attracted to the job because the prosecutor’s duty is to “do justice.” This is the commonly and dearly held belief in the profession. Doing justice means just what it says. Sometimes it means convicting, sometimes (1/18)
It means dismissing. I was inspired by @adamjohnfoss and his work around restorative justice. In his @TEDTalks he discusses being able to put a defendant on a plan instead of taking him to trial for theft. Defendant was a young kid. Due to Adam’s redirect as the (2/18)
Prosecutor, the kid repaid all the damage done and ultimately went on to become a doctor. He would never have been able to go to medical school with a felony on his record. This type of justice was what I was interested in as a legal intern in the DA’s office. (3/18)