Representative Ronald Stewart

D

District 73

Hi, I’m Ronald Stewart and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 73rd District.

representative

News & Announcements

Nov 18, 2025

Stewart Condemns Federal Government’s Removal of Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Resources From Federal Websites

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ronald Stewart, D-Tulsa, issued the following statement today in response to the Federal Government’s decision to remove missing and murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP) information and resources from federal agency websites, with no commitment to restore them.  The administration further claims that the Office of Missing & Murdered Indigenous People constitutes a “DEI initiative,” implying it is unnecessary and nonessential. “I am deeply and unequivocally disappointed,” said Stewart. “Removing MMIP resources is not just an administrative choice—it is a direct assault on the safety, dignity, and visibility of Indigenous people. It is an erasure of lives already lost, families seeking justice, and communities which aren’t just looking for answers, they’re demanding them. And it is a gross disservice to dismiss the MMIP office as a ‘DEI initiative’ when the facts, the data, and the lived experiences of Indigenous families prove otherwise.” Stewart says MMIP is not a DEI initiative. “The Office of Missing & Murdered Indigenous People was created to address a documented public-safety crisis, not to serve as any form of ideological or diversity-based programming,” said Stewart. “The Trump Administration’s claim is not only inaccurate—it is dangerously disingenuous.” Stewart lists the following facts to support his statement:  MMIP Addresses a Law-Enforcement and Jurisdictional Crisis Indigenous people—especially Indigenous women and girls—are murdered or go missing at rates 4 to 10 times higher than the national average. The crisis stems from gaps in federal, state, tribal, and local law-enforcement coordination, not from demographic or workplace diversity concerns. The office was formed to streamline information sharing, strengthen investigations, and correct longstanding failures in federal response—not to function as an equity program. Congress Directed MMIP Action Through Bipartisan Legislation Savanna’s Act (2020) and the Not Invisible Act (2020) passed with broad bipartisan support. These laws require federal agencies to improve data collection, investigative protocols, and coordination regarding MMIP cases. Compliance with federal law is not optional and has nothing to do with DEI frameworks. The MMIP Office Responds to Victims and Families, Not “Diversity” Agendas MMIP exists because thousands of families have been denied justice for decades. The office provides trauma-informed victim services, case tracking, and investigative support. Nothing in its mission relates to hiring metrics, workplace diversity, or social programming of any kind. Tribal Nations Requested and Demanded MMIP Support Tribal governments across the United States have requested federal partnership and accountability on MMIP for years. Responding to sovereign Tribal Nations is a legal obligation of the federal government—not a DEI preference. ”I genuinely appreciate our state’s bipartisan commitment to addressing MMIP,” said Stewart. “The work accomplished in both the House and Senate reflects a shared dedication to ensuring a safer Oklahoma for all. However, let me be clear: I do not agree with the decision of the federal government. MMIP is not DEI. MMIP is DOJ. It is public safety. It is justice. It is, in far too many cases, life and death. Removing MMIP resources from federal websites sends one message: that Indigenous lives are expendable. That message is unacceptable, and it is beneath the dignity of this nation. This crisis predates any modern political talking points—it reaches back generations, and it continues today. Families deserve answers. Cases deserve attention. And Indigenous communities deserve the full weight of federal responsibility.” -END-

Oct 31, 2025

House, Senate Democrats call for special session to fund SNAP benefit lapse

OKLAHOMA CITY – Friday, Oklahoma House Democrats and Oklahoma Senate Democrats held a press conference urging the Governor to declare a state of emergency and call a special session to help fund lapses in SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown. A few funding avenues were mentioned during the press conference, such as dipping into Oklahoma’s rainy day fund and helping food banks meet their goal of doubling their efforts. “We are calling on the Governor to act and help the nearly 700,000 Oklahomans–most of whom are children, veterans, and seniors–as SNAP benefits lapse starting tomorrow,” said House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City. “We have avenues to enact real solutions for Oklahomans. We can access up to $300M of our Rainy Day Funds, funds the Governor has bragged that we cannot add another dollar into because they are so full. Both the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma have said that an additional $5.5M to each organization would help to double their efforts. There is one solution right there. We understand that we do not have the means to completely make up for the lapse of SNAP benefits, but there are ways to provide a temporary fix that could help buy Oklahomans time. Other states with Republican leadership are coming up with solutions. Now is not the time to cling to White House talking points. It is time for Oklahoma leaders to stand up, lead, and serve Oklahomans.” Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, is urging Republican colleagues to act. “Our state’s Republican leaders had time to prepare for this crisis, and they did not,” said Kirt. “We have reached out with temporary solutions to help feed Oklahomans, and Republicans have not acted fast enough. We must come into a special session and appropriate as many dollars as we can to feeding our children while we wait on the President and Congress to act. We cannot allow hungry children to be political pawns.” Chair and Vice Chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) joined to push for action and explain the impact SNAP benefit lapses have on their districts. OLBC Chair Rep. Ron Stewart, D-Tulsa, says his district will be hit especially hard by the lapse in SNAP benefits. “House District 73 will be among the hardest hit—simply by nature of our demographics in northwest Tulsa,” said Stewart. “Our community is made up of diverse families who rely on SNAP benefits at a disproportionately higher rate. The lone grocery store in this food desert is a small, privately owned business that will undoubtedly feel the impact of reduced sales. The challenges facing District 73 mirror those of many rural communities across Oklahoma—different in geography, but nearly identical in struggle. Families throughout our state are going to feel the same pain. With November 1st on the horizon, time has run out. We cannot afford to wait for more harm before taking decisive action. While this is clearly a humanitarian crisis, it is also a matter of public safety. Oklahomans will suffer, and we must recognize that the ways some may respond to food insecurity carry broader implications for our communities. This reality should concern every legislator in our state.” OLBC Vice Chair Sen. Nikki Nice, D-Oklahoma City, says we cannot rely on food banks and non-profits alone. “It is irresponsible to ask 211, food banks, and non-profit agencies to meet this need when they were already underfunded and stretched thin before this crisis,” said Nice. “People in the community are already doing everything they can, and they are counting on their tax dollars to take care of people when there is a need, not to sit idle in bank accounts while the President and Congress use hungry children as bargaining chips.” The entire press conference can be viewed on the  Oklahoma House Democrats Facebook Page.  -END-

Oct 29, 2025

Members of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus Calls for Urgent Special Session to Protect SNAP Recipients Amid Federal Shutdown

OKLAHOMA CITY – Members of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus have issued an urgent call for Governor Kevin Stitt to convene a Special Session of the Oklahoma Legislature before November 1, 2025, to address the impending suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. In a formal letter sent to Governor Stitt, House Speaker Hilbert, and President Pro Tempore Paxton, the Caucus expressed grave concern over the devastating impact the lapse in SNAP benefits would have on Oklahoma families and local economies. “More than half a million Oklahoma residents rely on SNAP to meet their most basic nutritional needs,” said Representative Ronald “Ron” Stewart, D-Tulsa, Chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus. “Nearly 40% of these recipients are working families, and the majority have children. The loss or delay of these benefits would create an immediate humanitarian crisis and cause widespread economic harm to grocery stores, small businesses, and community food providers.” The Caucus members emphasized that ensuring food access is a nonpartisan, moral responsibility and urged both the Governor and legislative leadership to take swift action. “The welfare of Oklahoma’s citizens must remain the top priority of elected leaders at every level of government,” the letter stated. “If Governor Stitt fails to act, we call on legislative leadership to gather the signatures necessary to convene a special session to provide temporary state funding for SNAP recipients until the federal shutdown is resolved.” Members of the Caucus underscored their readiness to work collaboratively with both the Governor’s Office and legislative colleagues to pass emergency measures ensuring no Oklahoman goes hungry during this time of federal uncertainty. “This is not a partisan issue—it is a humanitarian and economic imperative,” Stewart added. “Time is of the essence. The people we serve are depending on us to act.” Members of the Oklahoma Black Caucus participating in the call for a Special Session include: Rep. Ron Stewart – Chair Sen. Nikki Nice – Vice Chair Sen. Regina Goodwin Rep. Michelle McCane Rep. Aletia Timmons -END-