OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) – Aug 21st, 2025
Gov. Kevin Stitt joined Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, today for a ceremonial signing of House Bill 2729, which eliminates the use of Chevron deference in Oklahoma courts and reshapes how state agencies enforce and interpret rules.
Kendrix, who chairs the House Administrative Rules Committee, authored the measure in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2024 decision overturning Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, a 1984 ruling that required courts to defer to agencies when laws were ambiguous.
“Ending the use of Chevron deference ensures that the rule of law, not the rule of regulators, governs in Oklahoma,” Kendrix said.
A Package of Reforms
Kendrix also advanced three additional rulemaking reforms this session, all of which became law immediately:
House Bill 2728 (Oklahoma REINS Act): Requires major rules with fiscal impacts to undergo independent review by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency.
Senate Bill 995: Clarifies that any rule not explicitly approved by the Legislature is automatically disapproved.
Senate Bill 1024: Prohibits agencies from adopting rules without Governor or cabinet-level approval.
“Administrative rules are a slippery slope,” Kendrix warned. “Without proper legislative oversight and full authority of our courts, it is very easy for an agency, intentionally or not, to overstep legislative intent.”
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Analysis: Less Bureaucracy or More Courtroom Battles?
On the surface, the end of Chevron deference looks like a victory for accountability. Agencies will no longer act as both authors and interpreters of their own rules. Judges, elected officials, and the Governor will take the reins.
But critics see a different picture: one where lawsuits become the new battleground. Every ambiguous rule is now subject to court fights; a process that often benefits corporations and well-funded litigants over ordinary Oklahomans.
Agencies like DHS, the Health Department, and oil and gas regulators will still write the rules. But under these reforms, those rules can’t take effect without layers of political sign-off and judicial review. That means fewer quick fixes, more gridlock, and more power concentrated in the Capitol and Governor’s Mansion.
For Gov. Stitt, it’s a political win against “bureaucratic overreach.” For Kendrix, it’s a milestone in a years-long push to reform administrative rulemaking. For citizens, the impact remains uncertain: Will this reduce red tape or just shift the power from regulators to politicians and lobbyists?
Either way, Oklahoma has placed itself at the front of a national movement to dismantle Chevron’s legacy and redefine who controls the machinery of government.
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