Oklahoma redistricting bill would require Judges to live in same area as their seat

October 20, 2011

Oklahoma: Senate Bill 700, a piece of proposed legislation which may be considered in the next legislative session, is under scrutiny from judges and media outlets. The bill would require judges to live in the same area that their seat serves. The legislation was initially authored by Jonathan Nichols who ran for a judgeship in Oklahoma District 21, Position 1. Clark Jolley replaced Nichols as the author of the legislation in later versions, but the framework created by Nichols has remained. Nichols lost the judicial race to Tracy Schumacher who has questioned the bill as being a direct attack, as she does not live in the same area as her seat. Nichols is term limited and may not seek re-election for his current seat in the next election. Schumacher felt that "Having Nichols offer a bill that makes his (former) opponent ineligible to run is just bad politics."