These are the primary bills that Oklahomans For Ballot Access Reform are watching in the 2014 Legislative Session.

HB2134 – Would modify the number of signatures required to form a new party to exactly 5,000 signatures. This bill’s language is preferable to the Senate bill.

• Carries over from the 2013 Session. In the House waiting Floor vote.
• Amended by Rep. Echols to be 2.5% of the last general election.
• Passed the House with a vote of 74 to 11. The eleven voting against it: Representatives Biggs, Jackson, Nollan, Schwartz,  Cockroft, Johnson,  O’Donnell, Trebilcock, Derby, McCall and Sanders.
• Referred to the Senate Rules Committee
• Passed the Senate Rules Committee 16-1. Senator Rob Johnson was the lone no vote. Bill amended to strike the title and enacting clause to force a conference committee.
• Amended on the Seante floor adding a number of other changes but keeps the 2.5% signature requirement intact.
• Passed the Senate on a vote of 28-16. The Senators voting against the bill were 15 Republicans, Allen, Brecheen, Newberry, Standridge, Anderson, Brown, Schulz, Sykes, David, Shortey, and Treat , and one Democrat, Ballenger. 
• Bill moves back to the House for Amendment approval.
• Bill was Assigned to Conference Committee
• Conference Committee never approved a compromise. Bill is dead.

SB668 – Modifies the number of signatures required to form a new party to be 5% of the last Gubernatorial election. This bill would bring some stability to the requirements but would not bring any real relief.

• Carries over from the 2013 Session. In the House waiting Floor vote.
• Never Heard on the House Floor. The bill is dead.

SB76 – This bill would dramatically increase the fees associated with running for office. This bill would result in fewer people running for office and thus further stagnate our already tepid elections.

• Carries over from the 2013 Session. In the House waiting Appropriations and Budget Committee Hearing.
• Never received a committee hearing and is dead. This is for the best.

HB3150 – This bill requires those registering to vote for the first time, or re-registering to vote, to submit to fingerprint imaging and photo in order to complete the registration. The fingerprint could then be used as an alternative to the ID requirement in order to vote.

• This bill was introduced for the 2014 session.
• Has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
• Bill is dead after never getting a committee hearing

HB2632 – This bill would add a “None of the Above” option to all elections.

• Introduced for the 2014 Legislative Session. Has not been assigned a committee hearing.
• Has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
• Bill is dead after never getting a committee hearing

HB 1008 / HB 1635 – Creates a process for filing for and seeking a recall of an elected official. Provides a new, though flawed, power to voters in which they can hold elected officials accountable.

• Both bills carry over from the 2013 Session. In the House waiting Rules Committee Hearing
• Both Bills are dead after never getting a committee hearing

HB2551 / SB1578 – Both bills open up primary elections to members of other parties and to Independent voters if the only candidates for a seat are on a single party’s primary ballot.

• Both bills are new to 2014.
• Both bills have been assigned to their respective Rules Committees.
• Both Bills are dead after never getting a committee hearing

HB2276 – Eliminates the Runoff Primary in cases where counties cannot hold three or more runoff primaries. In those cases, the candidate with the highest vote count, regardless of the lack of majority of the votes, moves to the General Election.

• Carries over from the 2013 Session.
• Assigned to the Rules Committee
• Bill is dead after never getting a committee hearing

HB1533 / SB1238 – These bills would change the method of how Presidential Elector’s cast their vote for President. These bills would create an elector for each Congressional District and two at-large electors.

• HB1533 Carries over from the 2013 Session. In the House waiting Rules Committee hearing.
• SB1238 is New for the 2014 Session. In the Senate waiting Rules Committee hearing.
• Both Bills are dead after never getting a committee hearing

SB906 / SB523 – These bills would add Oklahoma to the Agreement between states to assign its Presidential Electors based on the National Popular vote.

• Both bills carry over from the 2013 Session.
• SB906 is in the Senate and waiting Floor vote.
• SB523 is in the Senate waiting committee hearing. This bill duplicates SB906 and will likely never be heard.
• February 12, 2014: SB906 passed the Senate vote 28-18. It now moves to the House.
• SB906 has been assigned to the House Rules Committee.
• SB906 was never heard in committee and is dead.

Here are some articles featuring other bills of interest:

These bills would “reform” the state Judiciary.

These bills could change the make-up and agenda of the Legislature.