OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Senate Bill 1027, which limits the number of signatures each county can contribute to a petition aimed at changing state statutes and the Oklahoma Constitution, has been sent to the governor’s desk.

“The Constitution charges the legislature with ensuring that the initiative petition and referendum process is fair and is done in a manner that they talk to as many Oklahomans as they can,” said State Senator David Bullard (R-Durant), the author of the bill.

However, other state lawmakers believe the bill to be a violation of democracy.

“We have to come back to the heart of what this bill is all about,” said State Senator Julia Kirt (D-Oklahoma City), “This is about taking away the rights of Oklahomans to vote on things that are important to their communities.”

According to the bill, the number of signatures each county can have on a petition to change state statutes is capped at 11.5 percent of the number of voters in the last election for governor.

That number goes up to 20.8 percent for petitions that would amend the Oklahoma Constitution.

Opponents to the bill say the state’s biggest cities are where the most people live, and they should have a way to address issues when state lawmakers ignore them."

“This is a long standing tradition in Oklahoma,” said Amber England, a spokesperson for Raise the Wage Oklahoma—State Question 832. “It is a right that is enshrined in our state constitution that when politicians fail to act, the Oklahoma people will, and often do, take matters into their own hands.”

England said getting enough signatures on an initiative petition is already difficult, but if Governor Stitt signs SB 1027, getting things on the ballot would be nearly impossible.

“The legislature really sent a strong message to voters today that they don’t really trust voters and that they really want to keep power for themselves and special interests and take power away from voters.”

England said it would be standing against the people of Oklahoma to make the initiative process so difficult that nobody would be able to realistically use it.

“The governor has the opportunity to stand with the Oklahoma people and veto 1027 and send a message to the Oklahoma Legislature: I stand with the Oklahoma people.”

Some of the other changes the bill would make is allowing only registered Oklahoma voters to collect signatures and having them disclose if they are being paid as they gather those signatures.