Drummond: Stitt's veto of Open Meeting Act bill raises questions about who he's protecting

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 5, 2026) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond called Gov. Stitt's veto of a transparency bill a betrayal of Oklahoma taxpayers, saying the governor's rejection raises serious questions about who he is protecting and why. 

House Bill 3278 passed both chambers of the Legislature with bipartisan support before Stitt vetoed it last night. The bill would have strengthened enforcement of Oklahoma's Open Meeting Act, empowering the Attorney General to issue findings of violation, impose civil penalties and seek court enforcement against public bodies that violate Oklahomans' right to open government. 

“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. “This wasn't a controversial bill. It was a commonsense reform that sailed through the Legislature because the people's representatives understood what the governor apparently does not: accountability isn’t optional. When a governor vetoes a law that would expose corruption and punish officials who violate the public trust, you have to ask who he's protecting.” 

The Legislature can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote on each measure. Last year, Stitt also vetoed House Bill 2163, a measure designed to strengthen accountability and transparency in open records requests, before the Legislature ultimately overrode that veto.

“I hope every member of the House and Senate will finish what they started, override this veto and show their constituents that transparency isn't negotiable,” Drummond said.