Gov. Kevin Stitt wants what he wants when it comes to his education priorities and tax cuts in Oklahoma. So, he exercised his veto authority on more than 20 Senate-sponsored bills last week because the Senate isn’t giving him his way on his education plan.

The Republican governor also vowed he would continue to veto “any and all legislation authored by senators who have not stood with the people of Oklahoma” and supported his plan.

Unsurprisingly, the move generated bipartisan outrage among lawmakers who viewed the tactic as weaponizing the political process at the expense of Oklahomans who they say desperately need legislative intervention unrelated to tax cuts and education.

They’re not wrong. We understand the art of political hardball and its place in negotiations. However, the governor’s action is holding a number of good legislative pieces that are desperately needed hostage.

Some examples are reauthorizing funding for OETA, a bill that would have allowed child abuse victims to obtain protective orders against their abusers, and a measure that would have made it easier for hospices to prescribe opioid pain relief to terminally ill Oklahomans who need more of the drug to make their last days more comfortable. He’s also setting up a contentious relationship with the Senate for the rest of his term.

The House is fully on board with the governor, and most House members seem to be satisfied with the governor’s tenacity. In fact, the House speaker made a similar threat to the Senate regarding their education package.

Good policy is based on compromise. The best legislation typically occurs when all parties hammer out details and come to consensus, and that usually means there’s give and take on both sides.

We’re not crazy about parts of the education package that are putting taxpayer dollars into private schools through tax credits. But, we also know that the ball is rolling down that road and there’s little chance of stopping it. It appears some lawmakers are optimistic that hard conversations on the matter will continue and it will work out. Still, it seems a little seedy when hardball politics trumps policy. Many of the Senate bills need to be signed by the governor. We hope common sense eventually prevails.