TABOR Petition Drive Compared To Watergate

Monday, July 10th 2006, 2:36 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An attorney for a group challenging the so-called taxpayer-bill-of rights petition drive says "criminal activity" by petition circulators is similar to the Watergate scandal of the 1970s.

The group wants the state Supreme Court to throw out the petition and Monday made closing arguments to a Supreme Court referee.

Attorney Kent Meyers says those who circulated petitions for the so-called "TABOR" initiative used "fraud, corruption and chicanery" by bringing people from out-of-state to help gather signatures on the petitions. Meyers says the state Constitution requires that only Oklahoma residents be allowed to circulate petitions.

Supporters of the petition drive say the court should allow it to proceed to a statewide vote because that's the will of the people who signed the petitions.

The TABOR petition would limit the growth of government to a combination of the inflation rate and growth in population.

More than 299,000 people signed the petitions calling for a statewide vote. About 219,000 are needed to force the vote.