Kyle Meraz

Biography

Kyle Meraz is a fourth-generation Lawtonian and lifelong Oklahoman running to represent the 64th District in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Kyle currently works as a Registered Nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at the public hospital in his district.

Access to strong public education has been vital to his growth. Kyle attended public school in his district at MacArthur Middle School, MacArthur High School, and Western Oklahoma State College. During his time at MacArthur, Kyle was Drum Major of the school marching band, played saxophone in the concert band, was a member of the tennis team, and a member of the school choir.

Kyle has earned degrees from Oklahoma State University and Western Oklahoma State College. In college, Kyle was performed as a member of the OSU Cowboy Marching Band where he served as section leader. Kyle was a member of the 2013 National Intercollegiate Band and a national finalist for the Composing Our Future composition competition.

While at Western Oklahoma State College, Kyle was a member of the nursing club and worked as a nursing assistant at the local public hospital. As one of the leaders for the community health fair, Kyle worked with over 30 nursing students to provide community resources concerning sexual health, mental health, primary healthcare, nutrition, access to free clinics. It was this introduction to nursing that highlighted the need for expanded healthcare coverage in the state.

As a born and raised Oklahoman, public health advocate, and community leader, Kyle is running to restore power to the people of Oklahoma, invest in and advocate for our future, and restore our state budget to help Oklahoma begin to thrive.

Platform Issues

Health Care

As a registered nurse, I know how important healthcare access is for our neighbors. That’s why I will fight for expanded access to affordable healthcare that is so vitally important for the success of our state. I will introduce nurse-to-patient ratio legislation to protect our healthcare workers and to work towards better outcomes for our hospital patients. I will support legislation that caps prescription drug prices, allow importation of medication from Canada, and allow our government to manufacture generic medications so we can make prescriptions affordable for all.

Education

Our public school teachers need to be better paid and to have their classrooms fully funded but we can't stop there. Education support staff are an vital part of the education system and they have been overlooked in the education discussion recently. We must invest in our education system at all levels so our children have the best chance at success in the classroom. No child should go hungry, especially not while at school. We need to fully fund school breakfast and lunch for all students, regardless of parental income level.

Criminal Justice

I will introduce legislation to end our contracts with for-profit prisons. I will support legislation to end all mandatory minimum sentencing, which contributes to overcrowded and underfunded prisons with little focus on rehabilitation. I believe a rehabilitative model should be implemented so our incarcerated population is ready to fully reintegrate with society upon release. We need to end the cycle of repeat incarceration and work to keep families together. I will support legislation like SB 252 that aims to reduce the pretrial jail population by allowing "recognizance bonds," or a promise from the defendant to appear in court without the use of bail money.

Gun Safety

I will support legislation that ends open carry and requires a license to carry a gun in Oklahoma. In addition, I will also support red flag laws, universal background checks for all gun purchases, and safe storage incentives.

Environment

Climate change is real and it is caused by human activity. I pledge not to take contributions from the oil, gas, and coal industry and instead prioritize the health of our families, climate, and democracy over fossil fuel industry profits. I will support legislation that aims to expand on our renewable energy infrastructure such as H.B. 2095, which extends tax credits from 2020 to 2026 for electric vehicles and public EV charging stations. I will oppose legislation designed to restrict local governments ability to determine their own oil & gas regulations such as H.B. 2150, which "Makes local communities liable for damages if their local regulations interfere with, adversely impact or prohibit access to oil and gas."

Equality

We need to provide protection under the law for all Oklahomans. I will support non discrimination legislation and fight for our LGBT+ community.