Melissa Provenzano

Biography

Melissa Provenzano has served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 79th district since 2018. In January 2023, she was appointed Assistant Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House. Melissa Provenzano’s campaign emphasizes a strong commitment to education, healthcare, and community safety. As a former public school teacher and principal, she prioritizes fully funding public education, supporting teachers, and addressing the critical teacher shortage. Provenzano is also dedicated to expanding access to quality healthcare, ensuring women’s health rights, and fostering transparent, accountable government practices to benefit all Oklahomans.

Survey Issues

1.What do you feel should be the government’s role in public health and welfare?

The government should seek to provide guidance in seeking community health outcomes, use data to promote and offer services – vaccines, basic health resources, education.  Identify key issues such as maternal mortality rates that impact black and native pregnant women at higher rates and provided targeted supports for undeserved communities.

2. What are your views on individuals being able to safely and securely access sensitive medical procedures in privacy and without state control?

The doctor’s office is too small for the doctor, patient and government.  HIPA must be respected and protected.  The rights of women to access health care, including abortion, and make decisions for themselves on what happens to their bodies must be restored.

3. What changes would you make to ensure every Oklahoman has the chance to participate meaningfully in the electoral process?

Expanding the number of early voting days, simplifying the voter registration process, increasing the number of polling locations in underserved communities.

4. Currently, only one political party in Oklahoma allows independent voters to participate in primary elections. What will you do to ensure that all registered voters are able to fully express their political preferences?

Support and promote the open primary or ranked choice voting models. 

5. Research from Pew Research Center indicates that “the role of money in politics” is consistently one of the top concerns of American voters across the ideological spectrum. What will you do to address this growing issue?

Get rid of the ability to “hide” who contributes to dark money PACs or non-profits (501c4s)

Shorten the election window!

6. Many Oklahomans experience discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and other factors; how would you address these problems as an elected leader?

My caucus and I consistently stand up for marginalized communities and against discrimination on the House floor.  The key to success is keeping those types of hateful bills off the floor to begin with leveraging the community outside of the capitol building to keep harmful bills at bay. Then, educating our peers about how they will negatively impact people.  Essentially – we can’t be afraid to speak up.

7. How will you ensure that First Amendment rights to freedom of religion, speech, protest, and press are protected from infringement?

Speaking up when constitutional rights are being violated is the first step.  Increasingly, though, there is little concern about these things at the capitol when lawmaking, and outside actors have to be willing engage in litigation.  

Example: St. Isadore Catholic church wants to be able to operate as a public school and promote/teach their religious values.  This is a clear violation of the Oklahoma constitution.  Public school is for everyone, and all students who come from all religious backgrounds must be respected.  Now, there is a pending lawsuit to prevent the school from being a public school.   

8. What issues do you see in our criminal legal system that could be reformed to be more equitable and efficient?

Sentencing is wildly variable by county in our state.  We need a data collection effort to identify sentencing lengths for various crimes across the state compare, county by county.

9. What measures would you take to address food insecurity in Oklahoma?

Accepting existing federal dollars to feed children who qualify based on the free and reduced lunch program in the summer, when they are not in school!

10. How would you protect people renting in Oklahoma from predatory landlords and expand affordable housing options in our state?

Build in more tenant protections beyond the right to repair and provide tax credits for those willing to build affordable housing.