Two-thirds of the Oklahoma House this week took steps to neuter the People’s Power. Sixty-six reps – all Republicans – rammed through a proposal that could make it all but impossible for a grassroots initiative petition to ever again succeed in forcing a statewide vote on an important public policy.

In a special mid-week episode of Observercast, we take a deep dive into House Joint Resolution 1027, a naked legislative power grab that threatens to obliterate a tool the state’s Founders bestowed on everyday Oklahomans to protect themselves from abusive powers-that-be.

As Amber England, campaign manager for Yes on 802 – Oklahomans Decide Healthcare, put it, “The timing of the measure is no coincidence. Politicians are upset voters are taking a stand and deciding issues for themselves at the ballot box.

“The initiative petition process is a right enshrined in our state constitution for a reason. It serves as an important check on power and it allows the people to have a say when lawmakers simply lack the political courage to do the right thing.

“Every Oklahoman should contact their lawmakers and demand this bill be put on a shelf never to see the light of day again.”