OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed a bill requiring the governor to provide a 24-hour notice before traveling out of state.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval and Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton sponsored House Bill 4434. It passed the House with 86 votes and the Senate with 41 votes.
Paxton temporarily served as governor in March 2025 during a string of deadly wildfires across Oklahoma, in the absence of Gov. Stitt and Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell.
There was a similar incident in June 2023, after a derecho caused damage across Tulsa.
At that time then Sen. Pro Tem Greg Treat became acting governor, but did not know so at the time. He told 2 News then, “I think best practice is to let us know when we are going to be governor that’s always the courtesy afforded heretofore."
2 News asked Stitt about his absence when he returned to the state and visited Tulsa nearly a week after the storm hit.
The House overrode Stitt's veto with 86 votes. It now goes to the Senate.
In a media availabilty, Pro Tem Paxton said the Senate is going to look at veto overrides next week.
In his message about the veto, Stitt wrote:
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