The governor's office lists legislation that would exempt religious schools from accreditation, remove federal funding requirements for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to create the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, and make aggravated DUI a felony.
Stitt vetoed more bills in 2025 than in any previous legislative session as governor, both in number and percentage. Of 253 bills sent to his desk, 39 bills or 14% were rejected, doubling the next closest session in percent of vetoes issued.
He issued 31 vetoes for 425 bills sent to his office in 2023. He vetoed nine bills in 2019.
Additionally, 2025 also saw the largest percentage of vetoes in the past 11 years, including the last four legislative sessions under former Gov. Mary Fallin.
Stitt argued many of the bills would increase government influence. He also wrote creating a unit dedicated to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons would be discriminatory.
"Creating a separate office that prioritizes cases based on race undermines the principle of equal protection under the law and risks sending the message that some lives are more worthy of government attention than others," Stitt wrote on the governor's newsroom webpage.
Stitt also rejected a bill that would have provided coverage for contrast-enhanced mammograms and molecular breast imaging.
"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 a statement, Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, wrote she was stunned by Stitt's veto of the bill. She wrote it would have clarified coverage for women and men.
"We've come to realize that not every woman has access to the same machines, depending on where you live in Oklahoma," Provenzano wrote in a press release. "I've also fielded call after call from women who say their insurance companies are pushing back on coverage, despite what the law says."
A fiscal analysis notes the Oklahoma Health Care Authority did not expect the bill to impact Medicaid or StateChoice costs.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond opposed many of Stitt's vetoes, including bills aimed at increasing DUI penalties and mammogram coverage. Drummond is running for governor in 2026.
"Sadly, Gov. Kevin Stitt has clearly decided he no longer cares about serving the citizens of Oklahoma and is instead focused on serving special-interest groups and playing petty politics," Drummond wrote in a press release. "While his days are thankfully numbered, his loyalty to lobbyists and insiders will continue damaging public safety and transparency until his term is over."
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
