Thursday, March 7th 2019, 5:57 am
Just one day after Governor Kevin Stitt announced a plan to give himself more power, the legislature fast-tracked five bills to do just that.
Republicans were on board, but Democrats say it gives the governor too much power.
The bills would give the governor five appointments to agency boards, while the Senate and House would each have two.
Senator Greg Treat (R) President Pro Tempore responded, “If we get it wrong, we now have a backstop that we currently don’t enjoy that would allow for a two-thirds vote for both chambers to remove this individual.”
The agencies impacted would be ODOT, the Health Care Authority, the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the DOC, and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
“We have a board that does not answer to the legislature. The people of Oklahoma wanted that in our founding and I still think want that today. They don’t trust us. And I don’t blame the sometimes,” said Senator J.J. Dossett (D) Owasso.
Senator Greg Treat (R) President Pro Tempore said, “The status quo is unacceptable. We must change the way we do things.”
The bills could be on the governor’s desk next week.
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