6.5.25 – KGOU- By Logan Layden, Beth Wallis, Jillian Taylor, Chloe Bennett-Steele, StateImpact Oklahoma, Graycen Wheeler, Lionel Ramos, Sierra Pfeifer, Sarah Liese, Abigail Siatkowski, OPMX
Oklahoma lawmakers spent much of their time this session crafting an income tax cut and pushing it through to the governor. They spent another large chunk of the session playing Whac-A-Mole with problems at the state mental health department, holding committee hearings to investigate a $30 million budget hole and ultimately removing department leadership in the final hours of the legislative session.
But lawmakers also found time to pass around 500 bills and appropriate $12.6 billion for state agencies.
Stitt said he enjoyed working with Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, and Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, this session, despite unprecedented numbers of vetoes, veto overrides and bills that became law without the governor’s approval.
“I think we’ve had one of the best, most conservative sessions ever,” Stitt said.
Here’s a rundown of key bills that passed — and some that failed — this year, addressing health, Indigenous sovereignty, energy and more.
Lawmakers slash the income tax to Stitt’s delight and Democrats’ dismay
Lawmakers filed nearly 200 tax-related bills this year and spent the entire session working on an income tax slash the governor would agree to.
The result is House Bill 2764, a quarter-percent income tax cut. It sets the top rate at 4.5% for individuals earning more than $2,300 each month or married couples earning more than $7,500.A legislative fiscal impact report shows that by 2028, the income tax cuts will slash state revenue by more than $357 million per year.
The bill also includes a path to the eventual elimination of the income tax altogether, provided certain revenue conditions are met each year.
With the exception of a few public committee discussions, Republican lawmakers worked with Stitt behind closed doors to finalize an income tax cut that’s not quite the “half and a path” the governor outlined at the start of the session.
Stitt, who’s long championed cutting personal and corporate income taxes, only briefly touched on the topic at his last weekly press conference of the session, highlighting it as one of his many steps toward making Oklahoma ‘the most business-friendly state’ in the country.Senate minority leader Julia Kirt called House Bill 2764 the worst piece of legislation filed this year.
“We have low-income folks paying more, middle-income folks paying more of their income on property taxes, sales taxes,” Kirt said at her final weekly reporter huddle of the session. “So we’re going to cut the income tax, which really primarily benefits rich folks? What we see is a continued out-of-balance tax code that’s really, again, benefiting the wealthy.”She said further economic imbalances among Oklahoma’s income earners are a step away from a truly sustainable budget that also serves Oklahomans most in need.”It’s going to undermine our options as a state,” Kirt said. “We’re balancing the budget on our savings accounts. And I think we’ve seen that as a really dangerous path in the past.”
Changes to the state’s mental health department, competency restoration requirements
The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services was a major focus for legislators this session. Along with approving a last-minute $30 million appropriation, lawmakers spent a long time discussing measures to change operations at the embattled state agency. Financial mismanagement and concerns about leadership practices spurred independent investigations by the governor, state auditor and the legislature.
In an overwhelming late-night vote, lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives removed former commissioner Allie Friesen from her post at head of the department. They also rallied together to override Gov. Kevin Stitt’s veto of a bill that gives the state’s financial management authority more oversight over the department’s finances.
Bills to establish long-term funding for suicide lifeline 988 and add behavioral health training to health care provider continued education requirements failed.
In another veto override, lawmakers also expanded the grantmaking capabilities of the Opioid Abatement Board, housed in the attorney general’s office. The board is now able to spend opioid settlement funds on statewide and university-driven projects. In his veto message, Stitt said the change would give Attorney General Genter Drummond too much power. Senate Bill 391 also shifted more of the state’s response to the opioid crisis to the AG’s office, transferring it the duties of the Opioid Overdose Fatality Review Board from the department of mental health.
Much earlier this session in March, lawmakers approved a consent decree enforcing new regulations and time limits on the department of mental health’s competency restoration process for criminal defendants. The consent decree is in response to a 2023 lawsuit that claimed pretrial inmates deemed incompetent were not receiving sufficient care. Plaintiffs in the case argued hundreds of people were left in jails across Oklahoma for inordinate amounts of time while waiting for the department to provide court-ordered treatment.
A hot topic for the legislature, multiple other bills about the consent decree were also considered by the legislature. A bill requiring the development of a pilot program to provide community-based competency restoration services failed in its early stages. Senate Bill 1089, which enhances the consent decree with additional provisions passed in a veto override.
Education initiatives include a cell phone ban, pitches for teacher retention and mixed reception for Walters’ wants
One bill coming to schools across Oklahoma is Senate Bill 139 by Sen. Ally Seifried (R-Claremore), which requires districts to adopt cell phone ban policies “bell-to-bell,” meaning throughout the school day. Students would be prohibited from using phones, smart watches or other personal electronic devices on school campuses. Districts may carve out exceptions for emergency cell phone use or health monitoring, and the policy is only required for the 2025-26 school year.
To retain teachers, House Bill 1727 by Rep. Anthony Moore (R-Clinton) would open eligibility to the state’s tuition scholarship program, OHLAP, to teachers who have taught in Oklahoma schools for at least 10 years. While traditional OHLAP eligibility ranges from $60,000-$80,000 in annual income, teacher families would qualify at 700% of the federal poverty level. For a family of three, that would be about $186,000. The bill has been sent to the governor’s desk.
The hope for veteran teachers to stay longer in classrooms is also the focus of House Bill 1087 by Rep. Dick Lowe (R-Amber) allows teachers to receive step raises for 15 additional years of service. Before, teachers received no additional yearly pay for any year after 25 years. That bill has also been sent to the governor’s desk.
Oklahoma lawmakers also gave mixed reception to initiatives from State Superintendent Ryan Walters. Legislators rejected two of Walters’ most controversial administrative rules proposals: one that would require schools to count undocumented students and their families, and another that would require teachers to take the U.S. naturalization test. The state also passed on Walters’ $3 million request to fund Bibles.
However, despite initial pushback from GOP members, the legislature tacitly allowed new social studies standards to take effect that feature 2020 election denialism rhetoric.
Bills that test tribal sovereignty and state support for the MMIP crisis in Oklahoma
House Bill 1137, seeking to open up the door for state funding for OSBI’s Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, was debated back and forth between the legislature and the governor. Choctaw citizen Rep. Ronald Stewart, D-Tulsa, authored the bill, which was an amendment to Ida’s Law, providing tribal liaisons to the OSBI to aid in addressing the MMIP crisis.
After being vetoed by Gov. Stitt as Oklahomans rallied for MMIP Awareness Day because of what he called racial equity issues, multiple tribal leaders around the state spoke out condemning his decision. The Oklahoma legislature overwhelmingly overrode his veto on the last day of session.
“The bill had overwhelming support by both the House and Senate and should’ve been signed into law in the first place,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in a statement. “The Governor’s decision to veto the Ida’s law amendment — both shifting and flimsy reasoning and timing it to coincide with national MMIP Awareness Day — was heartless as it was thoughtless. Thankfully, the legislature did the right thing, and turned this meaningful act into law.”
Senate Bill 675, authored by Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, died after being unanimously rejected by the Oklahoma House Committee on Public Safety. The bill would have permitted the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to access the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunications System Network to assist the OTA in receiving its toll money. Multiple tribal nations and organizations opposed the bill, saying it “seeks to circumvent Tribal sovereign control over data.”
Breast cancer screening, prescriptive authority bills survive despite governor vetoes
A bill with overwhelming bipartisan support expanding insurance coverage for breast cancer imaging and advanced diagnostic tests passed despite a veto from the governor. House Bill 1389 was by Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa), who currently has breast cancer. The goal was to promote early detection, resulting in less expensive and more effective treatments.
In his veto message, Stitt argued it would create new costs when mammograms are already covered, and providers could order more tests if needed. Last week, lawmakers overrode the veto, and 28 female lawmakers signed a letter to Stitt expressing “profound disappointment” in his veto.
A highly debated policy addressing the prescriptive authority of qualified advanced practice registered nurses also passed. House Bill 2298 allows certified nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists or certified nurse midwives to prescribe independently of a physician. They must complete a minimum of 6,240 supervised clinical practice hours and apply to the Oklahoma Board of Nursing for this authority.
It allows these professionals to administer Schedule III, IV and V controlled dangerous substances, which includes things like anabolic steroids, Ambien and Xanax. Supporters have argued it will expand health care access – especially in rural communities.
A similar policy made it to the governor’s desk last session but was vetoed. Stitt vetoed the measure again this session, saying he supported the policy if it was limited to primary care but not when it expands to “the specialties they say they’re trained for.” But the Legislature overrode his veto.
House Bill 1168 was the only anti-abortion bill that made it far through the Legislature. The policy, which failed last year, would have allowed drug trafficking charges to be imposed on someone who delivers or possesses with the intent to deliver an abortion-inducing drug to someone.
It passed the House floor and a Senate committee, but ultimately failed when it wasn’t heard on the Senate floor.
Oklahoma tweaks initiative petition requirements, otherwise leaves voting unchanged
Despite filing multiple bills to change voting processes, legislators didn’t take a lot of action on the topic.
Senate Bills 129 and 273, which would have extended early voting periods, never made it beyond committee. House Bill 1005, which would have required Oklahoma voter ID cards to include a photo of the holder, died in the Senate. House Bill 2106, which would reduce the number of elections held each year to five, faced the same fate.
However, one bill that did make it into law is Senate Bill 1027. It establishes limits on the number of signatures allowed for each county when proposing a ballot measure. For a statutory petition, that ceiling is 11.5% of votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election; for a constitutional amendment, it is 20.8%.
Supporters of the law argue that it ensures rural voters have a voice in ballot measures. However, Oklahoma United — a group that is supporting a proposed constitutional amendment to enact open primaries in Oklahoma — is planning a lawsuit to block the legislation. The organization’s stance is that law is an unconstitutional way to stop Oklahomans from organizing citizen petitions.
Legislature pushed for natural gas generation, failed to pass wind turbine setback bills
To boost natural gas generation in the state, lawmakers introduced legislation that would encourage the use of the fuel source and incentivize the buildout of natural gas plants. Senate Bill 998, authored by Sen. Grant Green, R-Wellston, and Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Faxon, allows companies to recover construction expenses from consumers before a new or expanded facility is operational, as long as the site generates natural gas.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) will be directed to speed up its review time and give special rates for construction recovery expenses to the companies. The agency, which oversees oil and gas and utilities in the state, spoke out against the bill before its passage, saying it would result in higher costs for ratepayers.
Several renewable energy setback bills were introduced this year, including Senate Bill 2, authored by Green, and House Bill 2751, written by Caldwell. The bills sought to further restrict the placement of wind turbines. After the House bill was rejected, the Senate version was considered on the floor and later resurrected. But the measure ultimately failed with pushback from lawmakers about property rights and potential restrictions on the wind energy industry.
The legislature this year also attempted to address the state’s thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells. House Bill 1370, authored by Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow, would have increased the percentage of money flowing to the fund from petroleum oil and natural gas production, capping it at $20 million. Although the bill did not become law, another measure was signed by Gov. Stitt that creates new rules for producers.
House Bill 1369, also authored by Boles, was signed by Stitt in early May. It creates tiered amounts paid to the OCC based on the number of wells owned by an operator. The amount for those with up to 10 wells remains at $25,000, while companies with 11 or more start at $50,000 and cap at $150,000.
Lawmakers set aside money for water projects but declined to reshape groundwater use practices
Senate Bill 1151 sets aside $4.2 million for grants to improve water, wastewater and dam infrastructure in two specific, but unnamed, areas. One section includes population requirements that only apply to Canadian County. Another section specifies a “rural water, sewer and solid waste management district in the central region of the state experiencing private water well contamination from an unknown source and needing connected with a public water supply.” The money comes from Oklahoma’s Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity Fund.
Lawmakers made a more general adjustment to Rural Economic Action Plan grant funds used for water and sewer projects in small communities. House Bill 1438 raises the cap for those grants from $100,000 to $350,000.
House Bill 1588 directs and funds the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to study water quality in the Spring Creek watershed in Northeast Oklahoma. The bill acknowledges threats to the watershed posed by increased poultry production in the area.
Two bills to reform Oklahoma’s private groundwater use practices did not become law. Senate Bill 914 would have empowered parts of the state to develop regional water plans. Senate Bill 259 would have required metering for some commercial groundwater use. A similar bill passed in 2024 but was vetoed by the governor.
Sports betting bills stall in the legislature
Another salient topic in the legislative session for Indigenous leaders was sports betting. House Bills 1101 and 1047, which give tribes with existing gaming compacts exclusivity to operate sports betting, moved through the House. Both bills would have given the state 10% of the revenue in return for exclusivity; the key difference is that HB 1101 would have allowed Oklahoma citizens to decide whether to legalize sports betting on the ballot, bypassing Gov. Stitt. However, the bills, both authored by Cherokee Nation citizen Rep. Ken Luttrell, stalled in the Senate.
Senate Bill 125, authored by Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, was also placed on General Order. It would have permitted tribal nations in Oklahoma with gaming compacts to offer sports pools, excluding horse racing.
Senate Bill 164 barely gained traction in the legislative session. The bill, authored by Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, would have given the Oklahoma Lottery Commission the authority to regulate sports betting and would allow tribes in the state to apply for a sports pool license.
The Senate narrowly passed Senate Bill 585 after reconsideration, which permits the Oklahoma City Thunder to partner with sportsbooks for bets placed on land not in Indian Country and allows the tribal nations in Oklahoma to operate online and in-person sports betting on their lands. Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, introduced the bill, which he later withdrew because of insufficient support.
Tags
Politics and Government 2025 Oklahoma Legislative Session
Logan Layden is a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma. Logan spent six years as a reporter with StateImpact from 2011 to 2017.
Beth reports on education topics for StateImpact Oklahoma.
Jillian Taylor reports on health and related topics for StateImpact Oklahoma.
Chloe Bennett-Steele is StateImpact Oklahoma’s environment & science reporter.
See stories by Chloe Bennett-Steele
StateImpact Oklahoma reports on education, health, environment, and the intersection of government and everyday Oklahomans. It’s a reporting project and collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU, with broadcasts heard on NPR Member stations.
See stories by StateImpact Oklahoma
Graycen Wheeler is a reporter covering water issues at KOSU.
See stories by Graycen Wheeler
Lionel Ramos covers state government for a consortium of Oklahoma’s public radio stations. He is a graduate of Texas State University in San Marcos with a degree in English. He has covered race and equity, unemployment, housing, and veterans’ issues.
Sierra Pfeifer is a reporter covering mental health and addiction at KOSU.
Liese is Diné and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. She is passionate about heart-centered storytelling and works as an Indigenous Affairs reporter at KOSU. She joined the station in April 2024.
Abigail Siatkowski is a digital producer for KOSU.