Gov. Kevin Stitt faced bipartisan criticism in April when he balked at the number of Democrat-authored bills advancing out of the House. 

Many of those bills didn’t end up becoming law. Just 15 bills with a Democrat as the principal author were enacted in 2025, according to an Oklahoma Watch review of legislative records. Another three advanced to the governor’s desk but were vetoed without an override. 

That’s in line with recent trends. In 2022, just a dozen bills authored by Democrats were enacted. That ticked up slightly to 15 in 2023. In most years, about 450 to 500 bills become law. 

Democrats make up about 20% of the Legislature, a percentage that has held steady over the past five years. The disparity can make it an uphill battle for a Democrat-authored bill to get a committee hearing, much less advance all the way to the governor’s desk. 

Among the successful Democrat-authored bills are measures requiring insurers to cover advanced mammograms and exempting gun safes and gun safety devices from the state sales tax. 

“This entire session, Senate Democrats have worked across the aisle to solve problems for our fellow Oklahomans, helping kids get a great education, prioritizing health care so people can live longer, healthier lives, creating prosperity for more families, and demanding fair and open government,” Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said in a statement at the end of session. “And our work paid off with real gains for all Oklahomans.” 

The balance of power in Oklahoma’s Legislature is on track to remain the same in 2026, as there were no party flips in Tuesday night’s special election. 

Have thoughts, questions or story ideas? Let me know at Kross@oklahomawatch.org.

— Keaton Ross

Recommended Reading

• Oklahoma Prosecutors Seek Retrial for Longtime Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip: Glossip, who has spent 25 years on death row and faced several execution dates, is asking to be granted bond as the retrial plays out. His charges were thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court in February because of prosecutorial misconduct. [KGOU]
• Controversial Oklahoma Law Affecting Ballot Initiatives Draws Legal Challenges:
  The suit against Senate Bill 1027 was filed by two proponents of State Question 836, which seeks to make Oklahoma primaries open. A rural voter and a member of a group that has been highly critical of plans to build a turnpike in the Norman area also are plaintiffs. [Oklahoma Voice]
• Oklahoma legislators, some who knew slain Minnesota lawmaker, decry political violence: Legislative leaders in the House and Senate expressed heartbreak and condemnation over the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses on Saturday. [The Oklahoman]

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