Latest news with #Provenzano
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Oklahoma's female lawmakers celebrate overriding Stitt's mammogram bill veto
Twenty-eight female state lawmakers – both Republicans and Democrats – have signed a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt expressing 'profound disappointment' in his veto of a measure to expand insurance coverage for breast cancer imaging and advanced diagnostic tests. In the letter, dated Saturday, May 31, they also told Stitt they are celebrating the Oklahoma Legislature's override of that veto. House Bill 1389 was authored by Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa – who is battling breast cancer – and Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City. In his veto message, Stitt, a Republican, said he was 'deeply sympathetic to the women across our state who have bravely fought breast cancer' but he thought the bill would 'impose new and costly insurance mandates on private health plans that will ultimately raise insurance premiums for working families and small businesses.' The female legislators disagreed. 'Your veto is disheartening to patients, doctors, families and the very values we all hold dear in our great state,' they wrote. 'The Legislature passed HB 1389 with overwhelming, bipartisan support. We celebrate the override of your veto this past Thursday and we will continue fight for the women and families who need these protections.' During a marathon legislative session that didn't end until after midnight on May 30, lawmakers overwhelming overrode that veto. In an emotional scene on the Senate floor, Provenzano – a House member – sat next to Stanley during the override vote. After the vote, Stanley introduced Provenzano and gave her a high-five, saying, 'We did it!' A spokeswoman for Stitt did not immediately return a message seeking a response to the letter. There are 34 women among the 146 legislators who currently comprise the Legislature – 20 in the House and 14 in the Senate. (Three House seats currently are vacant.) Among those signing the letter were two women in House Republican leadership: Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin. House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, and Provenzano led all female House Democrats in signing. Prominent Republican senators who signed the letter included Stanley (who's on Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton's leadership team), Sen. Kristin Thompson, R-Edmond, and Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore. Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, were among the Democratic senators who signed. Only one female House member, Rep. Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle, did not sign. She was one of only five legislators – and the only woman – to vote against the veto override. Five female senators also didn't sign – Senate Majority Floor Leader Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville; Sen. Julie McIntosh, R-Porter; Sen. Kendal Sacchieri, R-Blanchard; Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman; and Sen. Nikki Nice, D-Oklahoma City. Those signing the letter wrote about the importance of breast cancer screenings covered by the bill in detecting cancer at earlier stages. 'This screening is intended for cases of breast cancer that are harder to detect due to dense fibrous breast tissue; while not suitable for everyone, individuals in this category face a higher risk of their cancer going undetected until it is larger or has already begun to spread. 'HB 1389 was a bipartisan effort that passed the House 95-0. It included contrast-enhanced mammograms and molecular breast imaging in the definition of diagnostic breast cancer exams and required insurance coverage for supplemental screenings based on personal and family medical history. These screenings are not experimental. They are recommended by experts and widely recognized as essential tools in the early detection of breast cancer, which saves lives.' This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma female lawmakers celebrate overriding mammogram bill veto
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma lawmakers overturn vetoes on dozens of measures, including mammograms, records transparency
Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman, front, talks with Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City, while awaiting votes on a veto override during the Senate session on Thursday. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House rose for a standing ovation Thursday after overturning the governor's veto of a bill expanding access to mammograms for early breast cancer detection. Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, the bill's author, said the standing ovation was 'powerful' and a reminder that people are humans before they are politicians. She was battling breast cancer for the length of the legislative session. Despite a nearly five hour delay in the Senate, the measure was one of nearly four dozen vetoes the House and Senate overturned on the penultimate day of session as they worked past midnight and into Friday morning before adjourning. Lawmakers moved to overturn the majority of Stitt's vetoes. Provenzano was met with another round of applause Thursday night when she returned to the House chamber after the Senate voted to finalize the veto override. 'I'm just reminded again, that we're humans first, politicians second,' Provenzano said. 'And I think every member and every staff member and the people in this building, if what we experienced here is going on in the state of Oklahoma, then it's time for something like this. Because everybody had a story of a sister or a mother, an aunt, a wife. And so it was just powerful.' Stitt said he vetoed the bill because while he is 'sympathetic' to those battling breast cancer, the legislation would have imposed 'new and costly' insurance mandates on private health plans and raised insurance premiums. To override a veto from the governor, two-thirds of representatives and senators must vote in favor of the measure or three-quarters if the measure contains an emergency provision. The dozens of overrides ranged from measures that aimed to increase public access to open records to missing and murdered indigenous people. Some of the measures lawmakers vetoed included: House Bill 2785 that gives the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services the ability to review the budget and finances of the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, which has had ongoing financial troubles. The governor said it was 'nonsensical and ineffective' to task one executive agency with micromanaging another; House Bill 2163 that gives the Attorney General's Office the power to enforce violations of the Open Records Act. Stitt said the bill would give Attorney General Gentner Drummond 'sweeping and unchecked authority' to access records from all state agencies, an 'unprecedented' power in Oklahoma. Drummond had previously urged lawmakers to override the veto; House Bill 2048 that prohibits insurers and pharmacy benefit managers from discriminatory reimbursement practices. Stitt wrote in his veto message that this was a federal issue and the Legislature should not insert itself. House Bill 1137 that removes a requirement that the Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons be federally funded, opening it up to state funding. Stitt said he vetoed the measure because he doesn't endorse legislation that 'singles out victims based solely on their race.' Stitt posted a video Thursday afternoon telling voters to closely watch how lawmakers vote on veto overrides. 'This is stuff I know is bad for Oklahoma, bad for taxpayers,' he said in the video. 'And you've got the Senate and House and special interest groups that are trying to override my vetoes.' Stitt said Thursday that he had vetoed 68 bills this session that would overregulate businesses and create higher taxes for Oklahomans. He said voters should pay attention to which lawmakers supported overrides of his vetoes. Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, referenced Stitt's comments while making a motion to override a veto on one of his bills, House Bill 2459, which pertains to fire safety in mobile food vehicles. 'Evidently, since the governor has called for all of us to be primaried that override his vetoes today, and his staff cant seem to read a bill correctly and they vetoed my bill, I make a motion to override the veto,' he said. Legislative proceedings stalled for nearly five hours after Senate leaders struggled to get the required number of votes necessary to override House Bill 2769. The measure contained a series of amendments to the leadership requirements and rules of the Oklahoma National Guard. The Senate passed the override just after 9 p.m. Stitt's override message said he vetoed the bill because it made major changes to the National Guard and state finances without a thorough fiscal analysis. 'While I applaud all our men and women who serve our country and our state in the National Guard, I cannot allow this bill to become law,' he wrote. '… The policies in this bill should be considered, reviewed, and debated as separate and distinct bills.' The bill makes several amendments to the qualifications necessary to serve as adjutant general of the Oklahoma National Guard, an officer overseeing administrative and personnel matters. The position could now be filled by someone with a rank of colonel or higher. It also grants the officer additional powers. The officer is to be compensated at the same rate of pay afforded to a major general. Several changes were also made to the Oklahoma Uniform Code of Military Justice. 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Yahoo
6 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
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oklahoma lawmaker battling breast cancer ‘stunned' after Stitt vetoes bill requiring insurance to cover cancer screenings
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Gov. Kevin Stitt is under fire after vetoing a bipartisan-supported bill that would have required insurance companies to cover certain screenings that can catch breast cancer early, a decision that has left the bill's author, who is battling breast cancer herself, heartbroken. The bill, House Bill 1389, had rare, unanimous bipartisan support in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and near-unanimous support in the Senate. 'It was amazing,' said Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa). Provenzano said her idea for the bill came about after she got a call from a single mom in her district. 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. Gov. Stitt vetoes bill that would extend Oklahoma eviction timeline The woman told Provenzano something that stuck with her. 'I have to pay my electric after the food on the table, so I was just not going to get it,' Provenzano said the woman told that, Provenzano teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to write the bill, which would require insurance companies to cover diagnostic mammograms at no cost to patients. Early detection, she said, could save countless was around the time she filed the bill that Provenzano got news of her own: She had breast cancer.'December 11th, I was diagnosed,' Provenzano said. 'And that just sort of rocks your world because it's fear of the unknown.'She has been undergoing chemotherapy, once a week, for the past 11 weeks, while the bill made its way through committees and onto the House floor, where it received unanimous approval on March 10. 'I turned around and it was just, you know, dots of pink,' Provenzano said. 'Everybody had something on. And it was moving and human. And it reminded me that we're humans first. And this is an apolitical thing at the end.' Even Republican lawmakers voiced strong support. 'Representative Provenzano — regardless of party lines, I guarantee it, I can speak for everyone… we all care about you,' Rep. Steve Bashore (R-Miami) told Provenzano after the vote. The bill sailed through the Senate and landed on Stitt's desk on Tuesday. 'I didn't expect a veto,' Provenzano said. But Stitt vetoed the bill Tuesday. 'I was stunned, to say the least, you know, because one in eight women in the United States are diagnosed every year,' Provenzano said. Stitt explained his decision in a video statement on Facebook Tuesday evening. Senate committee rejects immigration rules for Oklahoma schools 'It would have imposed new and costly insurance mandates on private health plans, which would actually raise premiums on Oklahoma families and businesses,' Stitt said. Provenzano said that reasoning is not backed by facts. 'When you have early detection, like I had access to, like all women deserve access to, you're saving dollars and saving money for the insurance companies on the back end,' Provenzano said. For Provenzano, it's hard not to take it personally. 'It feels personal,' Provenzano said. 'But I have to separate myself from that. I just want to say, did you read the bill? Did you understand what it was we're trying to do, and why this will save lives? And I just want to be able to have that conversation.' Provenzano said she still hasn't received a call from the governor. As she heads into her final week of chemotherapy, Provenzano said she's confident the future will hold fewer vetoes—and more moments of unity. 'When we strip away the politics, really beautiful things happen,' Provenzano said. 'And I'll keep working on that.' Stitt was scheduled to hold his weekly press conference on Wednesday, where News 4 planned to ask him about his decision, but it was postponed until Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oklahoma governor rejects measure requiring insurers to cover more breast cancer tests
Gov. Kevin Stitt has vetoed a measure meant to expand Oklahomans' access to breast cancer screening, saying he doesn't want to raise insurance rates. House Bill 1389 would require health care insurance providers to cover tests such as breast ultrasounds for people who are at higher risks of breast cancer, even if no abnormality is seen or suspected at the time. Contrast-enhanced mammograms and molecular breast imaging would also be covered in those cases and as part of diagnostic testing. Lawmakers from both parties criticized Stitt's decision to veto the bill, which had widespread support and cleared the House floor 95-0. For many legislators, the measure carried a special significance. The bill's author, Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her colleagues in the House wore pink in her honor on the day she introduced the measure. Provenzano said in a statement that Stitt's veto left her "stunned and in disbelief." She noted women in Oklahoma are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than the U.S. norm. More: Oklahoma governor vetoes MMIP bill, saying investigators shouldn't prioritize cases 'based on race' The governor said in his May 6 veto message that while he was sympathetic to women battling breast cancer, he believed the legislation would raise costs for health insurance companies and "ultimately raise insurance premiums for working families and small businesses." He said insurance plans already cover mammograms, and that doctors can order more tests if needed. Provenzano said many tests still aren't covered, which is why the legislation is needed. She pledged to "get to work" on moving the bill forward, which could still become law if legislators vote to override Stitt's veto. In her statement, Provenzano said the measure was meant to build on a 2022 bill that required insurance providers to cover diagnostic mammograms. Stitt signed that measure into law. Jennifer Monies, an adviser to House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, has not yet responded to questions about Hilbert's response to the veto and whether he plans to pursue an override. As the bill made its way through the Legislature, more than 20 lawmakers, including several Republicans, signed on as co-authors. Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City, the bill's main backer in the Senate, said she was disappointed by the governor's veto. 'This legislation was vetoed due to the belief that the provision of this care could contribute to higher insurance premiums, although the reality is that the costs of providing preventative screenings are minuscule when compared to the costs to treat late-stage disease,' Stanley said. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Gov. Stitt vetoes bill expanding breast cancer test coverage
