TRANSCRIPT
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Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider, taking you inside politics, policy, and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher, Shawn Ashley. Shawn, the work of the 2025 legislative session is officially over. All bills and resolutions passed have been accounted for through action or inaction by Governor Kevin Stitt. What's the final tally?
Shawn Ashley: Well, lawmakers sent 527 bills to Governor Stitt's desk for his consideration, and he signed 147 of those. He vetoed 69, but 47 of those vetoes were overridden. He line-item vetoed one and pocket-vetoed five. Plus, he allowed 305 bills to become law without his signature, a new record. Combined, 499 bills became law. The bills he signed, the bills he vetoed, those that were overridden and the bills that became law without his signature.
Dick Pryor: And by his own account, Stitt allowed bills to become law without his signature if they were not his priorities and he determined they did not “move the needle.” Now, legislation is about more than any particular governor's priorities. How did he decide what moves the needle?
Shawn Ashley: Well, Stitt often said improving Oklahoma's business environment moved the needle. So, he signed the individual income tax bill and the measure implementing business courts among others. The other part of that equation, according to Stitt, were bills that he felt were not good for the taxpayers, particularly bills that increased the size of government or added new regulations. Stitt told me in late May, “I represent the citizens of Oklahoma that don't have the resources to come up here to get their voices heard. So, you've really got to convince me to be a yes. I'm going to start as a no, and you're going to have to really convince me that this is good for Oklahoma and for the taxpayers.”
Dick Pryor: Something that moved the needle on how the session played out was turmoil at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It was an unusual matter that resulted in unprecedented legislative action.
Shawn Ashley: There was a big difference between how this started and how it ended, which was really kind of a theme this year. Stitt, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton announced jointly in March that the agency faced a budget shortfall, and they said they would work together to address the issue. But late in the session, lawmakers passed two bills related to the agency. One required the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to closely monitor the department's finances. And another required the department to appoint someone with specific qualifications to oversee implementation of the consent decree in the lawsuit related to competency restoration. Stitt vetoed the financial oversight bill, which the legislature then overrode, and pocket vetoed that consent decree measure.
Dick Pryor: Overall, how would you characterize this latest legislative session?
Shawn Ashley: Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, in particular, and House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, really emphasized the chambers working together this year and along with Governor Stitt. So, this year's session was collegial until it wasn't, another part of that theme I mentioned. And it really wasn't collegial on the last day, for example, when Stitt criticized the legislature in a video posted on social media for considering overriding a series of his vetoes. Lawmakers responded by overriding more of those vetoes, plus the firing of mental health commissioner Friesen resulted in some comments from Stitt regarding specific lawmakers for which he later had to apologize.
Dick Pryor: With the session now over, state agencies and departments must implement new laws and policies and the new fiscal year budget starting July 1st.
Shawn Ashley: State agencies, boards, and commissions are taking steps to do just that. The long-range Capital Planning Commission, for example, is taking over the state's deferred maintenance program. The first phase of which includes $225 million over three years to repair state facilities. It began discussing exactly how it will do that on Thursday. And the state textbook committee is in the process of receiving proposals for new textbooks that will implement the social studies standards that the legislature allowed to take effect when it took no action to disapprove them. The committee will hear presentations from publishers in July. And as you mentioned, state agencies are putting their budgets together to submit to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services by July 1st when the new fiscal year begins.
Dick Pryor: They have to move really fast. Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find audio and transcripts at kgou.org and look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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