Latest news with #MelissaProvenzano
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Oklahoma's female lawmakers condemn governor's veto of mammogram legislation
Oklahoma House lawmakers give Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, a standing ovation on Friday after she thanked the chamber for their support this session as she battled breast cancer. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A bipartisan group of 28 female lawmakers sent Gov. Kevin Stitt a letter expressing their 'profound disappointment' that he vetoed a measure aimed at expanding access to mammograms. The women wrote Saturday that Stitt's veto of House Bill 1389 was 'disheartening to patients, doctors, families and the very values we all hold dear in our great state,' but said that female lawmakers were celebrating the Legislature's overwhelming decision to override Stitt's veto. The House voted 83-3 to override the veto and the Senate voted 42-2. They pledged to 'continue (to) fight for the women and families who need these protections.' The measure, which becomes law Nov. 1, requires two additional mammogram tests to be covered by health insurance in Oklahoma. The bill was authored by Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, who is battling breast cancer. Only six women in the Legislature did not sign the letter. In his veto message, Stitt said he vetoed the bill because while he's 'sympathetic' to people battling breast cancer, the legislation would have imposed 'new and costly' insurance mandates on private health plans and raised insurance premiums. Spokespeople from the Governor's Office did not return a request for comment Monday. The lawmakers, who penned the letter, said the measure will help with the early detection of breast cancer by requiring insurers to cover the costs of screenings that are recommended by medical experts and are 'widely recognized as essential tools.' The Legislature voted late Thursday to override Stitt's vetoes. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said he supported the veto override during a press conference after the House adjourned. 'A lot of women across the state of Oklahoma reached out about the mammogram bill,' he said Friday morning. 'As we know, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, particularly when it comes to cancer. Early prevention and treatment is way cheaper, as well as better health outcomes, than finding cancer later in life.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Oklahoma lawmakers override record number of vetoes, remove Stitt appointee in dramatic end to legislative session
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Oklahoma lawmakers have officially wrapped up their work for the year, ending the 2025 legislative session with late-night drama and a flurry of veto overrides, capped off by the removal of a high-profile Stitt most of the session's final days, it looked like things might end more smoothly than bills were being held calls for a special even the typical budget appeared the House, Senate and Governor were all, in large part, getting then Governor Kevin Stitt began issuing vetoes.'This is stuff that I know is bad for Oklahoma, bad for taxpayers,' Stitt said in a Facebook video, after vetoing 68 bills—a the bills vetoed, was one authored by State Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa), who is battling breast cancer. Lawmakers upset after Gov. Stitt brings family member into Friesen fallout It would have required insurance companies to cover diagnostic mammograms, and received bipartisan, near-unanimous support in the legislature before Stitt vetoed it. 'I just want to say, did you read the bill? Did you understand what it was we're trying to do?' Provenzano also vetoed bills that supporters argued would strengthen DUI laws and open records laws, require ethics training for state department heads and put resources toward solving the state's backlog of missing Indigenous people leaders initially said they would override a handful of the responded by threatening to back primary opponents against them in their next elections in a video posted to his official state Facebook page. Legislators called his bluff, and upped the ante, by placing all 68 vetoed bills on the table for overrides. In total legislators overrode 47 of them—a new state drama came late Thursday, after Stitt learned a representative and senator had introduced a resolution to remove embattled Mental Health Commissioner Allie Friesen—a Stitt appointee—from office. Lawmakers override majority of Gov. Stitt's vetoes Stitt issued a statement suggesting, without evidence, the senate author's wife may actually be to blame for the department's prompted a furious response from senators across party lines.'I'm very, very, very disappointed in our governor, that he would put out a press release as disrespectful and disingenuous as this one,' Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) said.'I haven't teared up the whole session, until I read that,' said Sen. Christi Gillespie (R-Broken Arrow). 'We're better than that, we all are.''We keep family out of it. The fact that it was put out in a statement, it's disturbing,' said Sen. Aaron Reinhardt (R-Jenks). 'I will cut your throat to protect my district, but there are standards,' said Sen. Casey Murdock, (R-Felt). 'We need to leave family out of it. That is crossing a line.''A line was crossed with a false, baseless accusation against a spouse of a member of this body, and I will not stand for it,' said Sen. Bill Coleman (R-Ponca City).The resolution to remove Friesen passed both chambers overwhelmingly in the middle of the that, the legislature officially will return next February for the 2026 legislative session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
House votes to override several vetoes including mammography screening bill
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – While several still needed a vote to override from the Senate, House lawmakers overwhelmingly agreed to override several of the governor's vetoes, including one that would've extended coverage surrounding mammography screening. While it was voted in the House as of Thursday evening, the Senate still hadn't taken up most of the House bills for a vote to override. Claps from lawmakers in the House followed the override vote for House Bill 1389, authored by Rep. Melissa Provenzano. Provenzano said her idea for the bill came about after she got a call from a single mom in her district. Veto overrides could be on the way during final week of legislative session She said the woman went in for a routine mammogram, but when her doctor saw something concerning and recommended a second diagnostic mammogram, her insurance wouldn't cover it. 'And it was $1,200,' Provenzano said. The governor, earlier this month, vetoed the bill and said: I am deeply sympathetic to the women across our state who have bravely fought breast cancer. 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. 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. Without fail, when the government gets involved in markets, prices rise for everyone. Rather than expanding government mandates, we should focus on empowering individuals and encouraging innovation in the marketplace to improve access and affordability. Governor Kevin Stitt The other bill that had overwhelming support was House Bill 2164, which would have strengthened state bidding and purchasing laws to ensure public officials cannot use their positions of power for personal gain. It clarifies what a conflict of interest is and what requires disclosure, and the measure ensures that officials receive ethics training. The governor announced his veto of that bill Thursday morning and said, 'While I support the core goals of the bill, it would mandate ethics training for every newly elected or appointed head of a state agency, board, or commission—imposing the extreme penalty of removal from office for noncompliance. With hundreds of state agencies, boards, and commissions, this would create excessive bureaucracy with little meaningful impact.' The Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is running for Governor of Oklahoma, quickly came out with a statement against that veto and said: HB 2164 could prevent future scenarios such as that of Swadley's and the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation, when the sole bidder for a state contract landed a sweetheart deal that allegedly spurred flagrant overcharging of the state. HB 2164 would conceivably prevent a situation like what we saw several years ago at the Oklahoma Employment Securities Commission, when the employer of the agency director's spouse won a lucrative software contract with OESC. Attorney General Gentner Drummond Several other votes for overriding his vetoes came throughout the day, but by late Thursday evening, the Senate had yet to finish their votes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Veto overrides could be on the way during final week of legislative session
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – With only one week left in the Oklahoma legislative session, lawmakers will be down to the wire to wrap up business by the end of day on May 30. There have been talks swirling at the State Capitol about possible veto overrides during the final days of session. Governor Kevin Stitt has turned down an overwhelming 49 bills so far. Last year, he vetoed only 26. Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) said he has already started conversations with legislators whose bills were vetoed about possible reversals.'The speaker and I will meet with the governor and go with all these requests with the Governor,' said Paxton. 'Just out of that, as a professional courtesy, (I will) let him know what we are considering.' Stitt surprised many lawmakers with his veto of House Bill 1389. It would have required insurance companies to cover additional screenings for mammograms. It was unanimously passed in the House.'That one's probably top of mind. The most important bill that I'd like to see on the override list,' said Minority Leader Rep. Cyndi Munson (D-Oklahoma City). The bill was authored by Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa). She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and said she had talked to patients who could not afford expensive follow-up tests. 'We've heard from lots of constituents who need those kinds of scans that the insurance has been making them pay cash for and we want to make sure people get that scan if they need it,' said Senator Julia Kirt (D-Oklahoma City). Lawmakers pass Reindustrialize Oklahoma Act to help fund aluminum smelting plant Governor Stitt released a statement after he vetoed the bill. 'This legislation imposes new and costly insurance mandates on private health plans that will ultimately raise insurance premiums,' said Stitt. Another bill that has received overwhelming support from both sides was House Bill 1137. It would eliminate the need for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations to ask for federal funding for its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons unit. The bill was backed by law enforcement and Tribes across the gave his reason for using his veto power on the bill. 'Every missing person – regardless of race or background – deserves equal attention and urgency,' said Stitt. The Governor also vetoed House Bill 2048 that would have allowed rural hospitals and health centers to have more pharmacy options. Two republican lawmakers spoke out about the move; Senator Brent Howard (R-Altus) and Rep. Preston Stinson (R-Edmond) said the bill was beneficial for uninsured and low-income Oklahomans. 'Out-of-state and foreign drug companies and the dark money interests working for them successfully derailed the most important legislation introduced this year to help the health care providers who serve our most vulnerable communities. By lobbying for a veto of House Bill 2048, these deep-pocketed interest groups effectively undermined protections for essential medical services, including cancer treatments and obstetrical care, across our state,' said Howard and Stinson, in a joint statement. If lawmakers were to override any of Stitt's vetoes, they would need to be voted on by both the full House and Senate by the end of session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The most concerning part of Oklahoma's new budget is what was left out
I want to commend the Oklahoma Legislature for getting the budget done. That's never an easy task. I was involved in budget negotiations during my last eight years in office and know firsthand how difficult those conversations can be. I appreciate the time and effort it took to reach an agreement. For the most part, I agree with this year's budget. In fact, my biggest concerns lie not with what was included — but with what was left out. Could we have done more? Absolutely. Still, there were meaningful wins: • Funding for Oklahoma State University veterinary school — We need to position OSU as the premier veterinary university in the country. • Support for the new pediatric hospital at OU Health — Our children deserve top-tier care right here at home. • $20 million in additional funding for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation — An investment in our roads and infrastructure is an investment in public safety and economic development. • Additional funding for deferred maintenance — Long-overdue needs finally being addressed. Though I'm no longer in elected office, I still care deeply about the direction of this state. My hope is that future leaders will have the courage to stand firm — not just for the politics of the moment, but for the people of Oklahoma. That means listening, being transparent and acting. The easy choice is to stay silent. This session won't just be remembered for what was passed — but for what was sidelined, ignored or vetoed. Our View: Three vetoes by Gov. Kevin Stitt should be overridden by the OK Legislature One of the most disappointing moments was the veto of a bipartisan bill championed by Rep. Melissa Provenzano to support women battling breast cancer. This wasn't about politics — it was about people. It had broad support across the aisle, yet was still shut down. If we can't come together on something that personal and human, it's not just disappointing — it's disheartening. Then came the social studies standards. Most of us weren't asking to throw them out — just to send them back to the Oklahoma State Department of Education for a responsible review. That didn't happen. Instead, the revised standards were moved forward without further input. Equally troubling is the continued inaction on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP). Oklahoma ranks second in the nation for MMIP cases — an unacceptable and heartbreaking reality. Native families have been crying out for years, and year after year, the state fails to act. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole stood before Congress and gave powerful testimony. He showed us what leadership looks like. I agree with him completely: We cannot give predators a place to prey, especially not in Indian Country. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, I stand with him and the families demanding justice. We also missed a chance to improve transparency with House Bill 2163, which would have expanded public access to open records. That bill revealed something many of us already knew: resistance to accountability runs deep. During my final years in office, I had to issue subpoenas just to get basic information. The public deserves to know how decisions are made, and why. Transparency should never be treated as a threat. Opinion: Ryan Walters uses Education Department to further his own political career Then there's the ¼ percent income tax cut. It made for a strong headline, but back home in Moore, South OKC and across Western Oklahoma, the question I hear most is simple: Why? No one has clearly explained what it means for everyday people. Maybe it's a good idea — but most folks are still scratching their heads. And to be clear — these aren't just my thoughts. These are the thoughts of people I hear from every week at coffee shops, cafes, the lumberyard, the feed store, gas stations and from business leaders across Oklahoma. They're not asking for less government — they're asking for responsible government. Better schools. Better roads. Safer communities. We currently rank 49th in the nation in education funding, and last in our region for per-pupil investment. People remember what it was like during the billion-dollar deficit years. They know that Oklahoma is a boom-and-bust state, and they have no problem with keeping a solid savings account for the next downturn. What they do have a problem with is political distractions. We need to stop chasing national political fights and start focusing on what Oklahomans are asking for. The answers won't come from Washington — they'll come from listening to our neighbors and acting with courage right here at home. This session reminded me of something I learned in my early days at the Capitol: Good policy often dies quietly. Not through public debate, but through silence, neglect or veto. Some of the greatest disappointments this year weren't in what we passed — but in what we failed to do. Mark McBride is a businessman and consultant and a former member of the House of Representatives, from 2012-2024. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The most disappointing moments from the Oklahoma Legislature in 2025
