2026 Sine Die

From the Desk of the Executive Director

The Oklahoma Municipal League had a successful legislative session with many of our priority bills being signed by the Governor, amending bills to make them work for Oklahoma cities and towns, and stopping harmful bills from becoming law. The legislature and the Governor’s office finalized a budget by April 1st which is the earliest that they have reached an agreement in recent state history. The $12 billion budget kept most state agency budgets flat but added programs for water and wastewater infrastructure funding that will be available for municipalities.

In the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers sent 497 bills and joint resolutions to Governor Stitt. The Governor signed 367 bills and joint resolutions and allowed 89 to become law without his signature. The Governor vetoed 40 bills, but four were overridden by the Legislature.

The legislature adjourned Sine Die earlier than normal this year. This is an election year with half of the Senate and all of the House seats up for re-election. Members were eager to get home to knock doors and campaign. The next Session could potentially bring significant changes to the legislature, and we must stay engaged this interim to share our concerns and advocate for what is important to Oklahoma’s cities and towns. This was also the Governor’s final legislative session, and we will have almost an entirely new slate of statewide elected officials in January.

We will continue our Regional Council meetings this fall, so I would encourage you to attend these meetings to learn about our legislative priorities and become familiar with the issues we will face next Session. We will also have conversations with those running for statewide office and we will share their thoughts with you before the November elections. OML does not make endorsements, but we will let you know where the candidates stand on issues that are important to municipalities.

Thank you for being involved in OML’s Legislative Process. We are successful at the Capitol because of the work of our members. We appreciate all that you do and thank you for being engaged.

Sincerely,
Mike Fina
Executive Director