Outside Agitators Now Welcome in Oklahoma

Yesterday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit overturned Oklahoma's ban on signature gathering by nonresidents for ballot initiative campaigns. Four circuits have now held that such laws violate the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. "The 10th Circuit correctly affirmed the fundamental right of Americans to travel from state to state to advocate for political change and protected the free and open political debate that is essential to American politics," says William Maurer, an attorney for the Institute for Justice, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case. The court rejected the state's argument that banning signature gatherers from other states was a reasonable safeguard against fraud.

The text of the decision is here (PDF).

Comments

Robby Lee | December 19, 2008, 3:37pm | #

Carpetbaggers.

Elemenope | December 19, 2008, 3:58pm | #

Good.

Rimfax | December 19, 2008, 5:43pm | #

So, does this mean anything for Paul Jacob?

No Name Guy | December 19, 2008, 6:28pm | #

One small victory for freedom.....

Flow | December 19, 2008, 7:05pm | #

What's next, 6.0 beer!

Probably not :(

Cosmotarian Partisanship | December 19, 2008, 7:24pm | #

Damn cosmotarians not recognizing national and state boundaries...

Irishman | December 20, 2008, 10:50am | #

Yeah sure thing, insofar as my reply to the two of your freaks (elemnope & no name guy) who are happy about said decision.

You two morons are happy that people who have the time as well as money to go from state to state, and STICK THEIR SNOTTY NOSES in other people's business have a green light.

You have ara/humaniac/animal rights nutjob wrote all over you. LOL

Thomas Jackson | December 20, 2008, 6:57pm | #

Romulians and Klingons agree that this is a wonderful decision.

Nukeular options | December 21, 2008, 12:54pm | #

This decision is in violation of the Organic Act of 1890 and the Enabling Act of 1906 for the State of Oklahoma because you cannot gather petition signatures within the reservation boundary lines of a Indian Tribe with out the consent of those Indian Councils consent you know if you conservatives let this stand this will be your demise in the future political arena there is a ongoing case concerning this situation right now. Now what say you all?