Governor Henry Vetoes Bill On Drafting Ballot Language

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Governor Brad Henry has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the House and Senate to draft language on ballot measures sent to Oklahoma voters.

Henry issued the veto on Tuesday, saying he thought it was important to have an independent party draft a clear ballot title.

Currently, the attorney general's office is required to write ballot titles using no more than 200 words and an eighth-grade reading level.

A bill by House Speaker Chris Benge and Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee would have given the Legislature the power to draft language for the ballot.

Henry said allowing the House and Senate to craft ballot language for measures they helped pass likely would lead to "the appearance of and possible charges of bias" in the process.