Governor Kevin Stitt on Tuesday signed nine legislative bills into law, impacting areas from worker's compensation and education to human trafficking. Concurrently, the Governor exercised his veto power on six other bills, explaining his decisions often centered on concerns about overregulation, protection of individual and property rights, and governmental efficiency.
The newly enacted legislation includes:
• SB 642: Expands worker's compensation rights and remedies, authorizing agreements between contractors for insurance coverage.
• SB 674: Renames the Charter Schools Incentive Fund, modifying state funding calculations and payments for charter schools.
• SB 684: Relates to the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act, modifying tax years for which certain annual credit limits are enforced and prescribing enforcement procedures.
• SB 889: Requires hospitals to make certain files and lists public, authorizes compliance monitoring and enforcement, and prohibits certain collection actions.
• SB 1086: Requires the cancellation of voter registration under certain circumstances, mandates proof of citizenship for certain purposes and sets qualifications for access to certain voter lists.
• HB 1412: Directs stipends, rather than salary increases, for teachers with certain certificates.
• HB 1607: Directs state agencies to report the number of contract employees and their pay, and grants the Office of Management and Enterprise Services certain rulemaking authority.
• HB 1886: Creates the Oklahoma Human Trafficking Justice for Victims and Advocacy Act of 2025, increasing penalties for certain unlawful acts.
• SB 841 (Strong Readers Act): Modifies the use of the Statewide Literacy Revolving Fund and revises requirements for teacher preparation program students to complete certain training.
In addition to the bills signed, Governor Stitt vetoed six pieces of legislation, providing specific reasoning for each decision:
• SB 713 (Wind energy facilities): 'The Federal Aviation Administration already enforces lighting requirements on wind turbines to ensure aviation safety, and there is no indication this additional mandate would provide any meaningful improvement,' Governor Stitt stated. He further characterized the bill as 'mandating costly aircraft detection lighting systems on wind energy facilities is an unnecessary and expensive burden that will get passed along to customers.'
• HB 1356 (Agriculture; livestock gates): 'This bill would create a new misdemeanor, including jail time, for failing to close a gate,' the Governor stated in his veto message. 'While I understand the need to protect cattle and other property, incarcerating someone for forgetting to close a gate goes too far.'
• HB 2147 (Cities and towns; Municipal Code Lien Enforcement Act of 2025): Governor Stitt described this bill as 'a solution in search of a problem.' He warned that 'Minor code violations can now result in property liens against Oklahomans. This enables expanded condemnation and public takings without providing property owners adequate due process protections. Eroding private property rights is not an appropriate response to municipal code fines.'
• HB 2459 (Fire suppression; mobile food establishments): 'House Bill 2459 adds layers of new inspections, permitting, and operational hurdles that go far beyond what is necessary to keep the public safe,' Governor Stitt stated. He argued that 'Forcing food truck operators, many of them small business owners, to install costly fire suppressor systems is an overreach. It’s already state law to have a fire extinguisher equipped, and that requirement is both reasonable and effective. Otherwise, we should trust Oklahomans to use common sense and make their own investments where they see fit.'
• SB 898 (Construction by political subdivisions): The Governor expressed concern that 'Eliminating the requirement for construction bidders to submit disclosure statements under oath weakens a straightforward but meaningful safeguard. Truthful bidding depends on accountability, and having sworn statements under oath is neither difficult nor burdensome. This change not only undermines transparency but also raises questions about who benefits from avoiding a sworn declaration.'
• SB 915 (Solar energy): Governor Stitt criticized this bill for imposing 'unnecessary restrictions that hinder the CLO’s ability to fulfill that mission.' He highlighted that the bill 'doesn’t place the same restrictions on other lands. If this is good policy it should apply to everyone equally and not single out state owned land. To serve our schools effectively, the CLO must retain the flexibility to manage its assets in the most profitable and efficient manner. Every dollar lost to bureaucratic constraint is a dollar not reaching our classrooms.'
