Senator proposes 15 percent solution.

Saturday, September 28th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

This November, you'll be asked to vote on a state question to ban cockfighting in Oklahoma. Because of that, some hunting, fishing and rodeo fans are worried the bullseye might be on them next.

So they have put put another state question on the ballot that would make it tougher for animal rights groups to target their favorite sports.

The News on Six's Steve Berg went to find out what thier worried about.

The governor came out against this "other" state question. He basically feels like it give preferential treatment to these other sports.

As you might imagine, the lawmaker who spearheaded this issue feels differently.

Sen. Frank Shurden, (D) Henryetta says in Oklahoma, maybe outdoor sports and rodeos "should" have special treatment.

"It's really our Oklahoma heritage to hunt, fish, raise livestock, and go to the zoos and circuses, That's what the question does is protect those for the heritage of the people of Oklahoma."

State Question 698 would increase the number of signatures required to get a question on the ballot from 8 percent of registered voters to 15 percent, if the question has an adverse effect on things like hunting, and fishing, and rodeos.

Governor Keating doesn't like the idea because he says it creates two classes of citizenship in the initiative petition process, and that it's like letting one team get a first down with ten yards and making the other team rush for fifteen.

Shurden doubts the majority of people of Oklahoma would ever ban hunting or rodeos but he says the ones who do can be troublesome.

"It's just a headache and of course if they get it on the ballot then you've got to spend money, you know the associations and those people have got to spend money to keep it from becoming law."

Most of the people who are trying to ban cockfighting say they don't have a problem with hunting and fishing.

But if their effort fails, and this other question goes through, they say it would make it tougher for them to get another ban on the ballot in the future.