Stitt vetoes bills, which prompt pushback from lawmakers

Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed 14 bills last week, often citing concerns that the legislation would grow state government or expand bureaucracy.

Among the rejected legislation is House Bill 1137, which authorizes state funding for the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, and House Bill 1389, which requires insurance providers to cover contrast-enhanced mammograms and molecular breast imaging with no patient cost-sharing.

“While early detection and access to care are critical priorities, this legislation imposes new and costly insurance mandates on private health plans that will ultimately raise insurance premiums for working families and small businesses,” Stitt wrote in his veto message of HB 1389. “Mammograms are already covered, and when a doctor sees the need for further tests, they are empowered to order further tests that can be covered by insurance.”

The veto prompted pushback from several lawmakers and advocacy organizations who say the screening can improve early detection and save lives. HB 1389’s lead author, Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, was diagnosed with breast cancer while drafting the legislation.

“This legislation was vetoed due to the belief that the provision of this care could contribute to higher insurance premiums, although the reality is that the costs of providing preventative screenings are minuscule when compared to the costs to treat late-stage disease,” Rep. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City, said in a statement.

Stitt also vetoed Senate Bill 128, which extends several notice periods and deadlines for eviction proceedings, writing that it’s already a “burdensome and difficult” process for a landlord to obtain an eviction.

Oklahoma Watch has reported extensively on the lack of tenant protections in the state’s Landlord-Tenant Act, which hasn’t been updated since 1978. Oklahoma has the nation’s sixth-highest eviction rate per capita, according to a study by the Oklahoma City-based nonprofit Shelterwell.

For most bills, a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate is needed to override a veto. That threshold rises to a three-quarters majority if there’s an emergency clause. The Legislature has until May 30 at 5:00 p.m. to consider veto overrides.