'Pass my bill': Gov. Stitt vetoes 20 bills from authors against his tax plan
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed 20 bills late Wednesday night because he said their authors wouldn’t fall in line.
The vetoes covered issues from the opioid epidemic to public safety to the military. It could result in serious consequences for Oklahomans.
The governor’s stated goal is to get the state legislature to pass his tax and education plan. But it’s not just about why the governor vetoed these bills. It’s also about how he vetoed these bills.
Gov. Stitt has made his priorities known for some time now.
“Investing in meaningful tax reform is the answer,” he told press on May 26th of last year. “This is Economics 101.”
Now he’s moved from strong rhetoric to stronger action. 20 bills, some passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, were vetoed by the governor in the dead of night.
Every single veto shared the exact same explanation. Only the bill number was changed. The paperwork for all 20 vetoes was filed between 8:01 and 8:16 p.m.
The governor ended up sending a number of impactful bills to the chopping block. These include:
- S.B. 711, which would let prisons give Narcan to known opioid users upon release.
- S.B. 712, which would let hospitals give Narcan to known opioid users upon discharge.
- S.B. 479, which would let Oklahomans serving in the Space Force vote when stationed overseas.
- S.B. 291, which would let child abuse victims file for protective orders.
- S.B. 395, which would let Oklahomans donate their income tax returns to a fund for disaster victims.
- S.B. 840, which would let collegiate athletes be paid for their name, image, or likeness.
But the governor’s demands are clear.
“Until the people of Oklahoma have a tax cut,” his explanation on each of the vetoes said, “until every teacher in the state gets the pay raise they deserve, until parents get a tax credit to send their child to the school of their choice, I am vetoing this unrelated policy and will continue to veto any and all legislation authored by Senators who have not stood with the people of Oklahoma and supported this plan.”
One former leader of the Oklahoma legislature, who declined to be identified, was shocked by the governor’s move.
“That’s crazy,” they said. “This is evidence the governor and the legislature aren’t on the closest of terms.”
But last Friday, the governor told NewsChannel 8 exactly how the legislature could get on his good side.
“I just implore the Senate and the House to pass my bill, get this to my desk, and let’s move on,” he said.
S.B. 711 was co-authored by Rep. Jeff Boatman, who represents parts of Bixby and Tulsa.
“I think this is important public policy,” he told NewsChannel 8 in a statement, “and I am committed to continue working to see it passed into law.”
