Citizens in Charge

In 2007 Paul Jacob, an anti-big-government grassroots activist, and two colleagues were indicted by the state of Oklahoma. Their crime? They had hired people who were not Oklahoma citizens to gather petition signatures for a referendum to impose spending limits on Oklahoma’s profligate legislators. State law said that only residents could pass out petitions, but Jacobs had actually spoken with officials before the petition drive and been assured that as long as signature-gatherers were staying in the state—even if only temporarily—they could carry out their tasks.

Jacob:”You can have my petition rights when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.”

One of the mostly-unsung heroes of grassroots conservatism is Paul Jacob. He has spent his life helping conservatives organize against the reach of government through grassroots movements, mostly through the initiative process where applicable. I talk to Paul about how that almost landed him in prison in Oklahoma for ten years, and how conservatives and libertarians need to push for change through local and state initiatives ”” and why that challenges the entrenched powers in the legislatures: (VIDEO)

This evening, Paul Jacob, President of Citizens in Charge Foundation, was presented with the “Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire Award” from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Jacob was honored by CPAC for his commitment to citizen-led reform and his recent fight to uphold initiative rights in Oklahoma, where he had been indicted for helping citizens gather signatures for a state spending cap measure.

In 2007 Paul Jacob, an anti-big-government grassroots activist, and two colleagues were indicted by the state of Oklahoma. Their crime? They had hired people who were not Oklahoma citizens to gather petition signatures for a referendum to impose spending limits on Oklahoma’s profligate legislators. State law said that only residents could pass out petitions, but Jacobs had actually spoken with officials before the petition drive and been assured that as long as signature-gatherers were staying in the state—even if only temporarily—they could carry out their tasks.

Last Thursday's event celebrating the freeing of the "Oklahoma 3" was nothing short of a wild success.

Over 60 people came out to greet Citizens in Charge Foundation president, Paul Jacob, along with Senator Mike Gravel and others.

We’re happy to report that Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has dismissed criminal charges against three political activists and finally ended his assault on popular democracy in the Sooner State.

You’re cordially invited…

Criminal charges against three out-of-state signature gatherers were dismissed after the state’s attorney general decided not to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review Oklahoma’s initiative petition law.

Attorney General Drew Edmondson said Thursday his office would stop its legal challenge of a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that ruled unconstitutional Oklahoma’s law requiring petition signature gatherers to be residents.

An extraordinary incident unfolded in the state of Oklahoma on Oct. 2. Three individuals were arrested, shackled and arraigned. Their crime: trying to curb the spending excesses of Sooner State politicians. They were accused of violating an arcane and certainly unconstitutional law that imposes restrictions on who can circulate petitions in the state.