Coleman bill to create recall elections process clears Oklahoma Senate

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate has approved legislation from Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, to create a recall process for state elected officials to be removed from office. 

Before the legislation passed 31 to 15, Coleman vowed to make major changes to the bill in the coming weeks.

Senate Bill 990 currently establishes a process for the Oklahoma Legislature to initiate the recall of a statewide elected officer through a joint resolution, but Coleman said he plans to scrap that portion of the bill. He added that he wants to alter the bill so the recall process would be driven entirely by members of the public through an initiative petition. 

Coleman said he intends to change the legislation so the public could force a recall election by submitting an initiative petition with signatures of registered voters equal to 25% of the votes cast in the last general election to elect Oklahoma’s governor. For reference, an initiative petition to change state law requires signatures equal to 8% of the number of people who voted in the last governor’s race while a constitutional amendment requires signatures equal to 15% of those voters.

“Senate Bill 990 is still a work in progress, and I plan to work with my colleagues in both chambers to make this recall process driven by Oklahoma voters from start to finish,” Coleman said. “However, overturning the will of voters should never be taken lightly. That’s why I plan to set a high signature threshold for these petitions and implement safeguards to prevent recalls from being used simply because someone disagrees with an elected official or belongs to a different political party.”

Coleman said he crafted this legislation because the state doesn't have any process to remove a state elected official from office other than impeachment proceedings, which can only be initiated in rare situations. 

“Impeachment requires lawmakers to decide whether to overturn the will of Oklahoma voters, which my colleagues and I are reluctant to do,” Coleman said. “Establishing this recall process puts the power back into the hands of the voters, giving them the final say on whether a state officer remains in office. This legislation is about accountability and ensuring elected officials maintain the trust of their constituents. If an official loses Oklahomans’ confidence, voters should have the power to act immediately, instead of being left powerless until the next election."

Nationwide, 19 other states allow for recalls at the state level. Many Oklahoma municipalities have established recall processes for local elected officials. 

SB 990 is now eligible to be heard in the House. Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City, is the principal House coauthor. 

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For more information, contact: Sen. Bill Coleman at (405) 521-5581 or email Bill.Coleman@oksenate.gov