Former Prosecutor To Head Oklahoma DHS Commission

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has appointed a longtime Oklahoma prosecutor as the new chairman of the Department of Human Services Commission.

Fallin named Wes Lane to the post on Wednesday.

Lane replaces Brad Yarbrough, who resigned as commission chairman in June but remains a commissioner.

Lane is a longtime Oklahoma County prosecutor who served more than five years as the county's elected district attorney. He currently is president of the Burbridge Foundation, a Christian foundation dedicated to solving problems facing society and families.

The DHS commission is a nine-member panel that oversees the agency that provides services to vulnerable children, the elderly and disabled Oklahomans.

Lawmakers are seeking a statewide vote in November to abolish the commission and replace it with four separate governor-appointed committees.