Governor Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond are publicly at odds after Stitt vetoed legislation aimed at strengthening enforcement of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting Act.
House Bill 3278 passed the Legislature with bipartisan support and would have authorized the Attorney General’s Office to issue findings of violations, impose civil penalties and seek court enforcement against public bodies accused of violating open meetings laws.
In his veto message, Stitt argued the measure would have given the Attorney General too much authority without sufficient due process protections.
“Open government is a pillar of public trust,” Stitt said. “That is exactly why one office should not be given unchecked power to adjudicate law violations behind closed doors.”
Stitt said the bill would have allowed the Attorney General to act as “judge, jury and enforcer” in Open Meetings Act cases instead of requiring disputes to be resolved in court.
Drummond sharply criticized the veto, calling it a setback for government transparency and accountability.
“Gov. Stitt just sided with bureaucrats and against every Oklahoman who expects their government to operate in the open and play by the rules,” Drummond said.
Drummond also urged lawmakers to override the veto, noting the Legislature overrode a Stitt veto last year involving open records transparency legislation.
Current Oklahoma law already allows criminal penalties and civil lawsuits for Open Meetings Act violations.
