Advocates in Oklahoma are preparing a legal challenge against Attorney General Scott Pruitt over his rewording of the medical marijuana ballot question title, the Associated Press reports. The legal challenge will likely force the initiative from ballots this election.
Chip Paul, spokesperson for Oklahomans for Health, said Pruitt’s changing of the title “probably intended” to keep the measure off of the ballot because he knew the case wouldn’t move through the court system in time for inclusion on the November ballot. Paul contends that the rewritten title does not reflect the medical component of the measure, instead implying that cannabis will be legalized regardless of medical need.
“There is no way we can let the Pruitt ballot title stand,” Paul said in a Tulsa World report.
Pruitt said that his office worked diligently on the ballot title and that members of his office staff worked in conjunction with the Secretary of State’s Office to count the signatures.
“It’s important for the people of Oklahoma to know, regardless of the substance of the state question, the signatures were not submitted with enough time to allow this process to be played out completely,” he said, referring to possible legal challenges.
The question could be put to voters in a special election; however that would cost the state $1.2 million. Alternatively, the measure could be included on statewide election ballots in 2018.
The State Election Board said they need any ballot materials by Friday in order for their inclusion on Nov. 8 ballots.