House Dems knock Stitt over California travel ban

Democratic Leadership Calls on Stitt to Focus on OK Families

OKLAHOMA CITY -- House Minority Leader Emily Virgin (D-Norman) and House Democratic Caucus Chair Cyndi Munson (D-OKC) released the following joint statement today after Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he would ban all state-sponsored travel to California:

“Hundreds of thousands of uninsured Oklahomans are waiting to hear the governor’s healthcare plan that he promised and failed to deliver last fall. We are near the bottom in the country when it comes to resources for education and as a result education outcomes. We are one of the worst states in the country when it comes to infant mortality. In spite of the strides made by the people of this state through ballot measures, Oklahoma is still number two in the country in mass incarceration.

The governor’s latest decision to ban travel to California is nothing more than an attempt to distract from another recent bad decision the governor made, which was to alienate and attack our tribal nations and ask a federal court to shut down our state’s thriving tribal gaming industry.

To those that believe that this isn’t simply an attempt at distraction, why would the governor exempt travel for sporting events and business recruitment? And with those exemptions in place, who does this ban actually affect?

It’s time for the governor to end this irresponsible disagreement with the tribes, release a healthcare plan and focus on Oklahoma families.”