State Election Board reminds 2022 candidates of modified qualifications due to redistricting

State Election Board Secretary Reminds 2022 Candidates
of Modified Requirements for Select Offices

(Oklahoma City) – The Secretary of the State Election Board reminds prospective 2022 candidates for State Senator, State Representative and County Commissioner that they have until December 31, 2021 to meet the following qualifications:

• Establish residency in the district in which the candidate intends to run.
• Register to vote in the district in which the candidate intends to run.
• Register as a member of a political party (if seeking a party nomination) or as an Independent (if seeking office as an Independent.)

Other qualifications for these offices remain the same.

The modifications were enacted by the Oklahoma State Legislature during a recent special session and are intended as a one-time accommodation in response to new district lines. The modifications are only valid for those offices listed above for the 2022 election year. Qualifications for candidates seeking other state and county offices on the ballot in 2022 are not affected by the temporary changes.

Gov. Stitt signs redistricting bills into law

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT SIGNS SIX REDISTRICTING BILLS INTO LAW

Oklahoma Constitution requires legislative and congressional districts to be redrawn by the Legislature every 10 years

OKLAHOMA CITY (November 22, 2021)— Today Governor Kevin Stitt signed legislation approving new maps for Oklahoma’s five congressional districts and one new district map for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The new congressional maps keep nearly 90 percent of Oklahomans in the same district, as well as major military bases. The legislation was passed with overwhelming support in the House and the Senate.

“I am grateful to members of the Oklahoma Legislature who carried out their constitutional responsibility and redrawing these district maps,” said Governor Stitt. “Following an open and transparent process that included public input, these maps were passed with majority support in both the House and the Senate and I am pleased to execute the will of Oklahomans by signing these new maps into law.”

The redistricting legislation includes:

Proposed congressional, legislative redistricting maps released

Proposed congressional, legislative redistricting maps released

OKLAHOMA CITY – Little change would occur to Oklahoma's current congressional districts and recently-passed new legislative districts under the state's proposed redistricting maps released Monday.

Based on feedback received through the state's historic public input process, Oklahoma would continue to have two majority urban congressional districts and three majority rural congressional districts. New state legislative district maps initially passed in May change just slightly in the proposals released Monday.

Highlights of the proposals include:

• More compact legislative and congressional districts
• 87% of Oklahomans remain in the same congressional district
• Major military bases and related military communities remain in the same congressional districts

"Oklahomans produced a strong redistricting proposal that maintains appropriate urban and rural representation while protecting multibillion dollar investments in Oklahoma's military installations and surrounding communities," said Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, in a joint statement. "This plan should serve Oklahoma exceptionally well for the next decade. We look forward to giving it full consideration in the coming weeks."

The proposals will be voted on in a legislative special session beginning Nov. 15. Like any legislative bill, the proposals will receive committee and floor votes. They must pass both legislative chambers and be signed by the governor to become law.

The redistricting plans the Legislature will vote on can be viewed online. Click here for House maps, here for Senate maps and here for congressional maps.

Gov. Stitt calls special legislative session to address redistricting issues

GOVERNOR STITT CALLS SPECIAL SESSION TO ADDRESS REDISTRICTING ISSUES

OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 24, 2021) – Governor Kevin Stitt has called for a special session of the 58th Oklahoma to convene on Nov. 15 to address redistricting issues caused by the delayed release of 2020 census data by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The special session has been called solely for the following purposes:

Redistricting committees announce congressional map submission deadline

Redistricting committees announce congressional map submission deadline

Say work ongoing to modify legislative maps

OKLAHOMA CITY – The chairs of the Oklahoma Senate and Oklahoma House of Representatives redistricting committees announced Oct. 10 as the deadline for public map submissions for congressional redistricting.

The public can submit congressional redistricting maps to the Senate via email at redistricting@oksenate.gov or to the House via email at redistrictingoklahoma2020@okhouse.gov. Public map submissions are limited to one submission per person. Submissions must be from Oklahoma citizens. Each map must include a statewide plan for all five congressional districts. More information on the parameters for public map submissions can be found here. Detailed instructions on how to submit a map can be found here.

“Our series of in-person and virtual town halls were successful and helped us maintain our commitment to an open and transparent process that incorporates input from the public. Now is the time for the public to submit congressional redistricting maps, and we welcome their contributions to the process,” said Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle and chair of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting.

The Senate and House redistricting committees earlier this month wrapped up a series of in-person and virtual town hall meetings on the congressional redistricting process. The Senate and House held 29 town hall meetings about both legislative and congressional redistricting around the state and online. Recordings of those meetings are available on the redistricting websites of the Senate and the House.

“We are counting on the public to take ownership of congressional redistricting just as they did for legislative redistricting,” said Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, chairman of the House State and Federal Redistricting Committee. “Oklahoma will maintain five congressional seats that will require adjustments to account for population growth and other factors prescribed in law. Public input will once again be vital to getting these districts drawn properly for the next decade.”

Congressional Redistricting town halls set for July and August

Congressional Redistricting Meetings Scheduled

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 25th) – The Oklahoma House of Representatives and the State Senate redistricting offices today announced the schedule for town hall meetings on the congressional redistricting process. Legislators and redistricting office staff will answer questions and take comments from the public during the meetings.

Five in-person town halls are scheduled – one in each congressional district. Two virtual town halls also will be held for those who can’t attend one of the in-person meetings.

The town hall meetings are scheduled for:

Legislative redistricting chairs comment on final passage of redistricting plans

Click here for more details on the legislative redistricting maps

House, Senate redistricting chairs comment on final passage of legislative redistricting plans

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate each in bipartisan and overwhelming votes on Wednesday approved new legislative district maps [more info and roll call votes: House redistricting, Senate redistricting].

By law, the Legislature must redraw its legislative and congressional district boundaries to reflect changes in population every 10 years immediately following the decennial Census. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, redistricting plans for state legislative districts must be completed by the end of this year’s regular session.

“At the outset, we pledged to have an open and transparent redistricting process and we delivered. At every turn, we engaged with the public and sought their input in the redistricting process as part of our commitment to transparency. The results were maps that are more compact and better than the current legislative boundaries,” said Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle and chair of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting.

“The new redistricting boundaries ensure each Oklahoman has an equal voice in state and national government for the next ten years,” said. Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond and chair of the House Redistricting committee. “This year, every member of the House served on a redistricting committee, and over 20 public meetings, including virtual, were held to get as much input as possible into this important process. I’m glad to send these plans to the governor’s desk so they can be signed into law and fully implemented.”

Legislature releases proposed redistricting plan

The State House and State Senate released their proposed redistricting plan today. Details and links are below. There are some interesting decisions that were made, including the moving of some districts (such as SD18 from eastern Oklahoma to the OKC area). Take a gander at your area for changes (interactive map; you have to fiddle with the layers to view the Senate map as the House is default).

Press releases from both the House and Senate are below:

House Announces Redistricting Plan

The Oklahoma House of Representatives today announced its legislative redistricting plan.

By law, the Legislature must redraw its legislative district boundaries to reflect changes in population every ten years.

“These districts are based on unprecedented public input gathered through the most town halls ever held, several committee meetings involving every House district, and public map submissions,” said Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, chair of the House Redistricting Committee. “By putting the public in the driver’s seat, the House was able to produce a very strong map providing fair and proper representation for all Oklahomans for another ten years.”

State House passes resolutions asserting state sovereignty, challenging federal overreach

Resolutions Asserting State Sovereignty Adopted by Oklahoma House of Representatives

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Resolutions 1009 and 1010 sponsored by Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, were adopted in the Oklahoma House of Representatives today. The two resolutions assert Oklahoma’s state sovereignty in the face of multiple attempts by the federal government to usurp states’ rights. In particular, the resolutions are meant to combat H.R. 1, the “For the People Act of 2021” and H.R. 8, the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021.”

HR 1009 reasserts state sovereignty and the state’s authoritative powers as prescribed in the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and declares H.R. 1 to lie beyond the enumerated authorities delegated to the United States Congress in Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution.

“H.R. 1, known as the For the People Act of 2021, is an attempt by the federal government to usurp our state’s election processes. More specifically, in Division A, Title I of H.R. 1, Congress seeks to commandeer the voter registration processes of the several states,” said Steagall. “Additionally, H.R. 1 directs the states to utilize third-party entities to manage the states’ congressional redistricting efforts – a work that is prescribed to this state legislature by the Oklahoma Constitution. This blatant federal overreach cannot be left unchecked.”

HR 1010 reasserts state sovereignty and the people’s reserved powers as prescribed in the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and declares H.R. 8 to lie beyond the enumerated authorities delegated by the people to the federal government.

“The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, or H.R. 8, is a clear violation of the limitations placed on the federal government prescribed in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution,” said Steagall. “The provisions of H.R. 8 contradict our constituents’ innumerable unalienable rights including their Fourth Amendment Right to be secure in their persons and effects, as well as their Fifth Amendment right to due process of law.”

HR 1009 and HR 1010 will be distributed to the President of the United States, President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each member of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation.

Speaker McCall appoints State and Federal Redistricting Committee

House State and Federal Redistricting Committee appointed

OKLAHOMA CITY – The House State and Federal Redistricting Committee was appointed Friday to continue the House’s public-focused redistricting process throughout the 2021 legislative session.

House Speaker Charles McCall appointed the 29-member bipartisan committee to establish the formal policies and protocols for House redistricting. After the delivery of final U.S. Census data, the committee will advance legislation containing new districts to the full House for consideration.

“The unprecedented public involvement and outreach completed to date will continue to be the basis of House redistricting going forward,” said McCall, R-Atoka.

The standing committee will base its work on public input gathered by the House’s eight regional redistricting subcommittees, which conducted dozens of town halls across the state to hear from citizens about the composition of districts for the next decade. In a historic move, every House member was appointed to a regional subcommittee to ensure total representation of the full state in the redistricting process.

The State and Federal Redistricting Committee will hold its first meeting next week to adopt policies, protocols and a public map submission process.

Legislature to hold redistricting software demo for Lawmakers and Public

House and Senate to Hold Redistricting Software Demo for Lawmakers and Public

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate have planned a bipartisan, bicameral virtual demonstration of the redistricting software, Maptitude for Redistricting by Caliper, that both chambers will use to redraw new legislative and congressional district lines during the 2021 redistricting process.

As part of the Legislature’s transparency efforts surrounding redistricting, the public will be able to watch the virtual demonstration via livestream on the Oklahoma Senate website, https://oksenate.gov/live-chamber.

Tracy Horgan, the director of redistricting services for the Caliper Corporation, will provide a brief demonstration of the software capabilities for lawmakers at 9 a.m., Dec. 14, in Room 535 at the Capitol. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the demonstration will be conducted remotely and in-person attendance by lawmakers will be limited.

The demonstration will be recorded and archived so that lawmakers and the public can watch the software demonstration at a later date, if necessary. Following the demonstration, the House and Senate redistricting office staff will begin a three day virtual training course to learn and refine their skills with the software.

State Senate redistricting committee members named

Senate leader names redistricting committee members

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat on Thursday announced the members he has appointed to serve on the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting.

“Alongside drafting a state budget, redistricting will be the highest priority of the Legislature next session. The Oklahoma Senate will conduct an open, transparent and bipartisan redistricting process. The senators who serve on the redistricting committee have an important task and I appreciate them accepting the challenge to serve on the Senate redistricting committee,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Treat previously named Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, as chair of the committee and Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, as vice-chair of the committee. Treat said Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City, will serve as co-vice chair of the committee.

The members of the committee are:

Oklahoma Legislature announces statewide redistricting meeting dates

Oklahoma House, Senate announce statewide redistricting meeting dates

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate announced dates for a series of redistricting town hall meetings to be held across the state in the coming weeks.

At each meeting, presenters will give an overview of the legislative redistricting process and cover redistricting principles. At each meeting, the public will have the chance to comment on the redistricting of legislative districts and congressional districts. Additionally, the collaboration means the public at each meeting can share their input on House and Senate redistricting regardless of which chamber is officially hosting and leading the event.

“Collaboration between the House and Senate on these meeting locations and dates ensures we can cover more ground. It also means that regardless of whether it’s a ‘House meeting’ or ‘Senate meeting,’ the public can offer comments about the redistricting of all legislative districts and congressional districts,” said Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle and chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting. “We are conducting an open and transparent redistricting process in the Senate and these public meetings are a part of the plan to ensure the public’s participation in that process.”

State House brings in former Speaker T.W. Shannon to help with redistricting

House retains T.W. Shannon to assist with redistricting

OKLAHOMA CITY – To enhance its strong commitment to public input in the upcoming redistricting process, the House of Representatives has retained T.W. Shannon as a public liaison on redistricting matters.

Shannon, Oklahoma’s 42nd speaker of the House and the first Black speaker in state history, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation who has lived in both urban and rural Oklahoma.

“T.W. Shannon is an incredibly effective communicator whose diversity and deep understanding of all of Oklahoma will strongly benefit the House’s public-focused redistricting process,” said House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka.

Shannon will assist the House Redistricting Committee and House Redistricting Office in a nonpartisan manner with public interaction and input. His primary duty is to build bridges between the public and the House on redistricting matters on behalf of all House members.

Shannon will serve as a community liaison across the state to help the House solicit and interpret the public input that is the bedrock of the House redistricting process. He will also serve as a spokesman to the public and media as needed. He will report to the Redistricting Committee and its subcommittees.

OKGOP Chair again calls on redistricting petition head to release donors, expenses

REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN AGAIN CALLS FOR REDISTRICTING PETITIONS HEAD TO RELEASE DONORS, EXPENSES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, September 1, 2020 – In light of a third initiative petition filed by a political advocacy group aimed at disrupting Oklahoma’s redistricting process, the chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said today that Andy Moore, leader of People Not Politicians (PNP), must immediately release the organization’s donors and expenses.

“This is the political story that keeps on giving,” said David McLain. “The latest PNP filing is nothing more than a political scheme to buy Mr. Moore’s left-wing, out-of-state donors more time to push their disingenuous petition on Oklahoma voters. Their plan is to increase the size of the state legislature for the 2025 and 2026 sessions, and draw legislative lines on a proportional basis, leading to many counties and cities across the state being disenfranchised. This would be true political gerrymandering.”

“Other states, Oregon for example, are using the exact name as Mr. Moore’s group which confirms my belief that his effort is a component of a national plan to advance a liberal political agenda across the United States. It is why, for the third time this summer, I call on Mr. Moore to release all donors and expenses related to his three redistricting petitions dating to October 2018. His organization has funded salaries, hired attorneys and a public relations firm, produced videos, and engaged in other campaign expenses that have never been disclosed.”

Speakers names all State House members to redistricting committees

All House members named to redistricting committees

OKLAHOMA CITY – In a historic move, all Oklahomans will have direct representation in the House of Representatives redistricting process after House Speaker Charles McCall appointed all House members to redistricting committees Monday.

“House members work directly for the people. Because these are the people’s districts, the House is putting the people in charge of the redistricting process,” said McCall, R-Atoka. “With this approach, more Oklahomans than ever are involved in their redistricting. This process has the highest level of accountability for the people because they directly elect their representatives.”

Eight regional redistricting subcommittees will go directly to the public to ask citizens how House districts should look for the next decade. In-person and virtual town halls, online submissions, citizen surveys and more will be used to gather extensive public input throughout the fall and winter ahead of the 2021 legislative session. Each House member will serve on a regional subcommittee.

Oklahoma Senate leaders announce more details of Senate redistricting process

Oklahoma Senate leaders announce more details of Senate redistricting process

OKLAHOMA CITY (July 23rd) – Senate leaders Thursday announced more details of the process the Oklahoma Senate Select Committee on Redistricting will use as the Senate prepares for redistricting next year upon receipt of data from the 2020 U.S. Census.

The moves will ensure the general public’s role in the upcoming redistricting process in the Senate, said Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

“Redistricting will be one of the most important issues considered by the Legislature next year. The Senate has been working on redistricting for months and we are preparing for the culmination of that work by taking steps to ensure the general public’s role in the process. The Senate is committed to an open and transparent process as we conduct our constitutional duty to draw state legislative and congressional districts in Oklahoma using data from the 2020 Census,” Treat said.

Senator Lonnie Paxton, chair of the Redistricting Committee, said the public will have an important role in redistricting and that the Senate redistricting process will include:

• Public hearings at locations across the state with the opportunity for the public to offer comments at the hearings;
• The public submission of proposed maps of state legislative and congressional districts; and
• Public notice given before action taken by the committee.

If needed, Paxton said the Senate redistricting committee would take steps such as providing remote participation to accommodate social distancing necessary due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the Senate will also make its resources available to local officials if they so choose to help them draw county commission districts, city council districts, and local school board districts.

“The Senate is committed to transparency in the redistricting process and holding public hearings and accepting maps from the public will help us achieve that goal,” Paxton said.

More details about public hearings and the process for submission of proposed maps by the public will be announced later this year, Paxton said.

Treat emphasized the important role that Census data plays in redistricting.

“Census data from the federal government will be used to draw the new district lines,” Treat said. “The best thing the public can do right now for redistricting is complete the Census.”

To complete the 2020 U.S. Census, visit https://my2020census.gov/.

OKGOP Chairman calls out redistricting petition head on transparency hypocrisy

GOP CHAIRMAN CALLS FOR REDISTRICTING PETITIONS HEAD TO STEP DOWN FROM FIO POST, RELEASE DONORS, EXPENSES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, July 27, 2020 – The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party called today for Andy Moore, the executive director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, to resign his position and immediately release the names of all donors and expenses to SQ 804 and SQ 810, the initiative petitions to change Oklahoma’s redistricting process of which Moore heads. SQ 804 was ruled invalid by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and SQ 810 was recently withdrawn.

“The irony of Mr. Moore’s conflict of interest is beyond comprehension, and must be brought to light,” said David McLain. “On one hand, he heads an organization whose mission statement is ‘promoting open and transparent government in Oklahoma.’ On the other hand, he also has led two initiative petition campaigns which have never made public who their liberal, and likely out-of-state, donors and key supporters are. This is blatant hypocrisy, and while I seriously doubt Mr. Moore will comply, I call on him to promptly release all donors and expenses to SQ 804 and SQ 810, and resign from his position with FIO.  If he fails to do either, I request FIO’s Board of Directors immediately remove him.”

Legislative leaders comment on Supreme Court's redistricting ruling

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has invalidated the initiative petition that aimed to radically alter how redistricting is done in Oklahoma.

Senate leaders comment on state Supreme Court’s redistricting ruling

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Senate leaders on Tuesday commented on the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling regarding redistricting.

“The court made the right call. Regardless, we’ve remained focused throughout on developing a redistricting plan that will help us do our job well. We are setting up a process that will allow us to work efficiently and effectively once we receive data from the 2020 Census,” said Senator Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle and chair of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting.

“I’m pleased with the outcome in court. The Constitution charges the Legislature with redistricting and our planning is an effort to ensure we are up to that task,” said Senator Dave Rader, R-Tulsa and vice chair of the Select Committee on Redistricting.

“I’m pleased with the court’s ruling. This is nothing more than a power grab by out-of-state liberal activists. As I have said before, the Senate will handle this job in a professional and thorough manner. The Senate will announce more details soon about its redistricting process,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Legislative redistricting takes place every 10 years following the release of U.S. Census data. The state Constitution provides that each legislative chamber oversees redistricting efforts to ensure districts are updated as necessary to reflect any population changes.

Speaker McCall responds to redistricting ruling by Supreme Court

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, issued the following statement today in response to the Oklahoma Supreme Court striking down Initiative Petition 420 concerning redistricting:

“This proposal has been misleading and overly-complicated from day one, and we are pleased the court recognized that by striking it down. The proposal is a solution in search of a problem given that courts have never found impermissible gerrymandering to have occurred in Oklahoma. We are continuing to move forward with the House’s proven redistricting process that involves the entire state, strictly adheres to the law and won bipartisan praise when last used a decade ago.” – House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka

Column: Redistricting petition is blatant move that should concern all

Initiative Petition 420 is part of national plan

an op-ed by Michael Clements in the Durant Democrat

The Oklahoma Supreme Court heard arguments this week on a case that is getting little attention but could have huge implications on the local, state and national levels.

The case concerns Initiative Petition 420. If the petition’s backers are successful, they will put State Question 804 on the ballot. And, if that question is approved by voters it will completely change how legislative boundaries are drawn in Oklahoma. We have covered this issue before, but it’s too important to ignore.

Andy Moore, founder of People not Politicians which is pushing the petition, claims he is just a regular guy who got interested in politics after learning about gerrymandering. Moore claims he was just minding his own business when he became so outraged over the issue that he had to do something. So, he started the organization with the populist sounding name to fight the obvious corruption of having elected officials draw district lines.

Moore was so regular that he didn’t even know who Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States under President Barak Obama, was. Which is odd since Moore is also the executive director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, a group dedicated to fighting for government openness and transparency.

Apparently, the FOI Oklahoma Board was so impressed with the political neophyte that the fact that he couldn’t identify the top law enforcement official in the nation was irrelevant. So, why is Moore’s obtuseness relevant? Because Moore’s redistricting crusade just happens to coincide with far-to-similar-to-be-coincidence national campaign to flip red states to blue states being run by holder.

In another stunning coincidence, People Not Politics web presence is hosted by a company dedicated to advancing progressive political agendas, like those espoused by Holder. Moore claims it was simply a financial decision, but we’re pretty sure that if he was pushing a Republican agenda his Internet Service Provider wouldn’t be quite so blue.

Then there’s the census-data manipulation SQ 804 would require. Moore claims to have no idea how language calling for the incarcerated to be counted differently from all others for the purposes of redistricting, and only for that purpose, got into his proposed amendment. But, to our knowledge, he and his grassroots movement have made no moves to remove the provision.

Right now, the decision is in the hands of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. But even if the court rejects this move, it will not end. It is being pushed by a national campaign intent on bypassing the voters and the Constitution. People on one side of the aisle may be fine with that for the time being since they see it as a way to correct what they consider to be a mistake by the voters. But what happens when the other side controls the commission?

Frankly, we are being sold a bill of goods and the potential impact goes far beyond drawing some boundaries. This is a blatant move to take control an essential part of our political process away from the majority of the people and place it in the hands of a few. And that should concern people of all political persuasions.