Southwest Oklahoma legislators explain overrides of governor vetoes

Friction between the executive and legislative branches of government is a key issue for leaders, even if it does lead to the State Legislature overriding a governor’s veto.

Members of the Oklahoma Legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt faced that issue in the 2023 session, and the net result was legislators voting to override 20 of Stitt’s vetoes, Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, said Thursday while addressing members of the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce. Pae, Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, and Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, were answering questions about the issues of vetoes and bills.

Caldwell said Stitt had made his opposition known on some issues, including tribal sovereignty and tribal compacts, and the Legislature was equally clear. The vetoes weren’t unexpected: Caldwell said the Legislature already had overridden vetoes of other tribal-related issues such as tobacco compacts and license plates. And this year, legislators viewed the new issues as crucial because of the importance of partnerships with the tribal nations of Oklahoma, Caldwell said.

“We work hand-in-hand,” he said, explaining those partnerships have an economic impact.

Hasenbeck said that economic issue is one that hits close to home, explaining while she personally doesn’t like gambling, there must be consideration given to the 10,000 people in rural Oklahoma who work for casinos. She said there also is the issue of checks and balances, crucial between the executive and legislative branches of government.

“I will vote for override every single time,” she said, adding she would take that action even if she had voted against the initial bill because of the importance of checks and balances.

Pae agreed with the importance of checks and balances, and with Caldwell’s argument that tribal governments are important to the state economy.

“That’s a good thing,” he said, of those partnerships.

Pae also supported the legislative override of a bill sponsored by Caldwell and Sen. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton, ensuring graduating high schools seniors of Native American heritage can wear tribal regalia at commencement.

“That’s common sense, and I was puzzled he vetoed it,” Pae said, of a bill he said simply allows such students to show their culture.

Caldwell said it’s the “law of the land” that government is not to infringe on religious beliefs, and Native Americans have said the regalia is a matter of religion. Responding to questions that said allowing the activity might open the door to someone who wants to wear a satanic symbol, Caldwell said it is a matter of freedom of religion.

“It’s a way to express yourself,” he said. “Everyone has that right.”

Lawton Board of Education member Patty Neuwirth had questions about censoring books, after thanking the delegation for the override of Stitt’s veto on funding for the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, and for its funding increases that allows Lawton Public Schools to increase its retention rate for the first time in years.

“I want my grandkids to read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’,” Neuwirth said, asking whether legislators would support efforts to increase book bans.

Hasenbeck, whose educational career included work as an elementary school librarian, said she worked hard behind the scenes this session to ensure such bills would not be heard. As a school librarian, Hasenbeck said she was “100 percent aware” of all the books in her library, and she knew there were some that could raise some parental eyebrows. But, she said books have to be read in context and also must be part of the effort to fully teach children.

Members of the Comanche County Veterans Council had questions about the controversy surrounding the Oklahoma Veterans Council and Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, where some veteran organizations are angry about Stitt’s appointments to the board and the removal of the department’s long-time director.

Caldwell and Pae said the controversy is distracting officials from what should be their primary mission: protecting the state’s veterans. Caldwell said that is especially important in Comanche County, which has the highest veteran population in the state. Pae said he and other legislators will continue to pursue a bill giving the Legislature power to appoint members to the state council (that power now is held by the governor).

“The House came very close to passing that bill,” he said.