SJR 6: Constitutional amendment; modifying certain appointment procedures; requiring Senate confirmation of certain executive appointments. - Oklahoma

SJR6 (3-12-25) (PAXTON) FS FA1.PDF → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill text was updated from a 'Floor Substitute' version to a 'Committee Substitute' version, reflecting amendments made by the Senate Rules Committee. The substantive policy content regarding judicial appointments and the repeal of the Judicial Nominating Commission remains consistent between the two versions, with the primary changes being formatting updates, the removal of the 'Floor Substitute' label, and the addition of a committee report indicating the bill passed as amended.

TECHNICAL

The document title was changed from 'Floor Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute', indicating the text has been amended by the Senate Rules Committee.

The byline was updated to list only Senators Paxton and Guthrie, removing Senator Bullard from the list of sponsors.

Page headers and footers were updated to reflect the 'Senate Floor Version' and include page numbers consistent with the new committee markup.

A 'Committee Report' was added at the end of the document, stating that the committee recommends the bill pass as amended by the committee substitute.

Committee Substitute → SJR6 (3-12-25) (PAXTON) FS FA1.PDF · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was changed from a 'Committee Substitute' to a 'Floor Substitute,' indicating it has moved from committee review to the final floor vote stage. The sponsors were updated to include two additional legislators. The most significant substantive change is the removal of Section 2, which previously established a retention election process for judicial officers, meaning judges will no longer face a public vote to keep their seats. Additionally, the amendment text was simplified to repeal only Section 3 of the existing judicial article and modify Sections 1 and 4, removing references to Section 2.

Scope change

The scope of the proposed constitutional amendment was narrowed by removing the provision that required judicial officers to seek retention via public election.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for judicial officers to file a declaration of candidacy and face a retention election was removed entirely.

SCOPE

The constitutional amendment text was revised to target only Sections 1, 4, and the repeal of Section 3 of Article VII-B, excluding the removed Section 2.

TECHNICAL

The bill status changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'Floor Substitute,' and the list of sponsors was expanded to include Guthrie and Bullard.

Introduced → Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised from a proposal to amend executive officer terms to a proposal focused on repealing the Judicial Nominating Commission and changing how judges are appointed. The scope shifted entirely from executive branch appointments to the judicial branch, introducing Senate confirmation for judges and removing term limits for the Commissioner of Labor.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from governing executive officers (Governor, Secretary of State, etc.) to governing judicial officers (Supreme Court Justices and Court of Appeals Judges), while also adding a requirement for Senate confirmation of judicial appointments.

SCOPE

The primary subject of the amendment changed from executive officers to judicial officers, specifically targeting the repeal of the Judicial Nominating Commission.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added mandating that judicial appointments be made by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

ELIGIBILITY

Term limit provisions for the Commissioner of Labor were removed, allowing the office to be filled by appointment without a fixed term.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Judicial Officer' was updated to include Justices and Judges of the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals.

TIMELINE

The timeline for judicial appointments was modified to include a 60-day window for the Governor to appoint a nominee before the Chief Justice must step in.

Constitutional amendment; modifying certain appointment procedures; requiring Senate confirmation of certain executive appointments.

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