OKLAHOMA CITY – House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City and Assistant House Democratic Leader Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa released the following comments regarding Governor Stitt’s "Women's Bill of Rights" Executive Order:

 “It is not the government’s job to define the identity of the citizens of Oklahoma. Once again, the Republican supermajority continues their government overreach by infringing on the rights of citizens. This executive order is just another attempt to distract from the real problems everyday Oklahoman’s face by using partisan, polarizing politics to divide the people of Oklahoma,” Leader Munson said. 

“Governor Stitt should focus on how to improve the lives of women in Oklahoma like addressing domestic violence. Oklahoma ranks third in the nation for women killed by men. Forty percent of Oklahoma women have experienced intimate partner violence, rape or stalking in their lifetimes. And Oklahoma continues to have one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the nation, while continuing to eliminate access to basic healthcare like abortion care. Oklahoma women still do not get equal pay for equal work. Women in our state, on average, are paid just 75 cents to every dollar men are paid. We have much work to do in Oklahoma around the status of women and this executive order does nothing to address those issues,” Leader Munson said.

“It’s pretty rich that a man would feel it’s appropriate for him to define what makes me a woman. Even more so, for the government to do it. This bill couldn’t make it across the line and into law during session because it was fraught with conflict and all but guaranteed (yet another) lawsuit filed against the state for overstepping their bounds and inserting ourselves into the rights and private lives of Oklahomans,” Rep. Provenzano said. 

“Instead of a symbolic Executive Order, don’t we have better things to do with our time? Like solving the actual problems that have earned us our ranking of the worst in the nation when it comes to women? Things like equal pay, access to preventative health care, the maternal mortality rate, abortion care and the atrociously high rate of domestic violence women are subjected to in Oklahoma, which has led us to have one of the highest homicide rates in the nation for women. This Executive Order is lip service. Let’s move on to something that will actually make an impact,” Rep. Provenzano said.

-END-