Oklahoma governor vetoes bill that would have created official KU license plates

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt pinpointed a University of Kansas license plate as the reason he vetoed a bill that would have authorized six new official license plate designs for Oklahoma drivers.

In a veto message Monday, Stitt said he would have signed the bill if it did not include the provision allowing KU license plates. Oklahomans wanting to support an out-of-state university should simply purchase one, he said.

“No offense to your sister state in the north, but the State of Oklahoma doesn’t need to be in the PR business for the University of Kansas,” Stitt wrote.

Despite Stitt’s position on license plates supporting out-of-state universities, Oklahoma drivers are permitted to purchase an official specialty license plate supporting Kansas State University.

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly responded to Stitt’s veto message this afternoon on Twitter.

It's no secret that @UnivOfKansas grads love to show off their school spirit. To all the Jayhawks living in Oklahoma and elsewhere, just know you're always welcome back in the Sunflower State. Rock Chalk!

https://t.co/E8Ou68s4uN
— Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) May 23, 2023

“It’s no secret that [University of Kansas] grads love to show off their school spirit,” she tweeted Tuesday afternoon. “To all the Jayhawks living in Oklahoma and elsewhere, just know you’re always welcome back in the Sunflower State. Rock Chalk!”