Latest news with #Stitt
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2 days ago
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Legislative session mixed bag for Oklahoma governor who ‘got everything he wanted' until very end
Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks at his weekly media availability on May 28, 2025. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – The legislative session, which ended Friday, was a mixed bag for Gov. Kevin Stitt. He got his income tax cut, business courts and ban on cellphones in schools, prompting him to say Wednesday it was probably the best session in his seven years in office. 'Look. The governor should be very happy,' House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said early Friday. 'He got everything he wanted this session.' But then came Thursday, effectively the final day of the legislative session. Lawmakers removed his embattled mental health commissioner and spent hours overriding dozens of his vetoes, including House Bill 1389, which expands insurance coverage for diagnostic mammograms. Stitt panned both the veto overrides and Friesen's firing. State Superintendent Ryan Walters didn't fare well, watching lawmakers and Stitt halt his efforts to require citizenship status checks for students and the completion of the naturalization test for teachers. They also balked at his $3 million request to purchase Bibles for public school classrooms. But lawmakers stopped short of putting the kibosh on his controversial social studies standards, dictating what must be taught in school, and which have already drawn a court challenge. The standards include language requiring students be taught about unfounded 2020 election 'discrepancies,' the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and Bible stories. Democrats said they were largely left out of the budget process. While Stitt championed it, Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said the .25% income tax reduction was the worst bill of the session. It cuts the top bracket from 4.75% to 4.5% and contains a pathway toward eliminating the tax entirely. 'It is going to undermine our options as a state,' Kirt said. Stitt let the general appropriations bill, outlining the state's nearly $12.6 billion budget, take effect without his signature. The budget gives most agencies a flat budget, but provides $250 million for the Oklahoma State University veterinary school and $200 million for a University of Oklahoma pediatric heart hospital. Perhaps one of the most controversial measures passed and signed into law was a bill putting more restrictions on the process voters use to get things on the ballot. Senate Bill 1027, which among other things implements restrictions on the number of people who can sign initiative petitions, is expected to draw a legal challenge. Sports betting failed to get across the finish line for yet another year. A bill that would have barred synthetic dyes and over a dozen other ingredients from food got left on the cutting room floor, as did a measure requiring a Ten Commandments display at the Capitol. A bill that would add items to Oklahoma's back-to-school sales tax holiday didn't muster the support needed for passage nor did a measure that would have made Nov. 5 President Donald J. Trump Day in Oklahoma. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
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Morel hunting to hospital prices: 5 new Oklahoma laws you might have missed
Did you know Oklahomans can soon forage for morel mushrooms on state property? Or that hospitals will face lawsuits for violating price transparency laws? While much of the news from Oklahoma's Capitol in recent weeks has focused on taxes and the state budget, an impressive number of other policy bills reached the final stage: The desk of Gov. Kevin Stitt. The governor decided this year to avoid personally taking action on bills he doesn't think are priorities. As of Wednesday, May 28, Stitt has allowed 234 bills to go into law without his signature. Last year it was just 19 bills. Out of the hundreds of new laws that will go into effect in 2025, here are five that you might not have heard about yet. Although Senate Bill 447 allows foraging for any edible plant or nut, Oklahomans might be especially interested to know that they can also soon start hunting for morel mushrooms on certain state-owned land. Finding and picking morels, considered a tasty but expensive variety of mushroom, has become a popular springtime activity. Starting Nov. 1 when the law officially goes into effect, sharp-eyed Oklahomans can expand their search to state-owned or state-managed property that is accessible to the public. Stitt chose not to sign the bill, but it still became a law because he didn't veto it before it took effect. Along with fungi, the bill also authorizes foraging for nuts and edible plants, like berries. Don't expect restaurant chefs to be traipsing through state parks looking for them, however. The law clearly states that the foraging must only be done for personal consumption. Foragers are encouraged to wear hunter safety vests. Foraging will be prohibited in university research crops, from plants that are threatened or endangered, along roads and highways, in areas owned by law enforcement or used for their training, and near correctional facilities and jails. In an attempt by its authors to streamline Oklahoma's open records process, authorities will be allowed to deny records requests that aren't "reasonably specific." The new law found in Senate Bill 535 codifies the right of public bodies to require people fill out a form if they're seeking government records. It also says that "if a records request does not describe the requested records with reasonable specificity," the public body can ask the requestor to clarify. It will become law, although without the governor's signature, on Nov. 1. The law says these three things meet the definition of reasonable specificity: Proposing a specific time frame for when records would have been created or transmitted Requesting identifiable records, instead of asking for general information without specifics, and Including search terms that will help the public body find those records If the requestor again fails to clarify, the public body can then deny the request. The bill's author, state Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, said it was a product of negotiations between the Oklahoma Municipal League and the Oklahoma Press Association. Daniels faced questions on the Senate floor about a provision in the bill that allows public bodies to ask for a deposit on records requests that will generate a cost to the requestor. Under existing Oklahoma law, governments can charge a copying fee of 25 cents per page. They can also charge a "reasonable fee" to cover the direct costs of searching and copying records if the request is made solely for a commercial purpose or if responding to the request would "clearly cause excessive disruption of the essential functions of the public body." Her bill lets governments require an advance deposit when the estimated cost of producing those records exceeds $75, or if the requestor has unpaid fees from previous requests. Oklahoma City Democratic Sen. Regina Goodwin questioned the lack of protections in the bill that would guarantee that a requestor who pays the deposit gets the records they asked for. However, state law already requires public bodies to be responsive to requests, and Daniels said the records request form authorized in her bill would help clarify what records are wanted. While both federal and state law require hospitals to post their prices online, patient advocates say that most Oklahoma hospitals aren't fully complying. Senate Bill 889 adds sharp teeth to require hospitals follow the state law. In their latest annual report, said it found that 37 out of 42 Oklahoma hospitals complied with price transparency laws. More: 2024 analysis finds Oklahoma hospitals not transparent enough when it comes to prices Starting Nov. 1 (a common date for new laws), anyone facing facing medical debt collection who believes a hospital is not in compliance with the state transparency law can sue to have a court determine whether that's the case. If so, the hospital will be barred from collecting any debt owed for the items or services. The hospital will also have to refund any payments and also pay a penalty equal to the amount of total debt. Senate Bill 889 also allows the State Department of Health to monitor each hospital's compliance request a corrective action plan. Hospitals that ignore the request or fail to follow their own corrective action plan can be penalized administratively by the department. Opponents of the bill expressed concern that rural hospitals who get caught up in a lawsuit would face yet another financial threat to their survival. Stitt signed the bill into law. Oklahoma law currently requires anyone who suspects child abuse or neglect to report it to authorities or face a misdemeanor charge, up to a year in county jail and a $500 fine. House Bill 2798, which after the governor's signature officially becomes law in November, increases the penalty to a felony if that person is a school administrator or superintendent. The new law requires superintendents and school administrators in both public and private schools to promptly report child abuse and neglect. If they knowingly and willfully fail to report, or if they interfere with another person's report, they could face between two and 10 years in state prison, a fine of at least $20,000, or both. They would also have to complete a term of community service. "School administrator" includes principals and anyone who performs a supervisory or administrative role in a school district. In the last week of session, Stitt signed a bill that could stop regulated electric utilities from offering incentives for customers to switch from natural gas. The incentives typically come in the form of appliance rebates, which help customers offset or eliminate the cost of compatible machines. Senate Bill 335 specifically bans the use of ratepayer-funded incentives and goes into effect July 1. During discussion on the House and Senate floors, opposition lawmakers criticized the bill as a protectionist measure to support the natural gas industry, especially because natural gas companies would still be able to utilize ratepayer income to incentivize switching. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Here's 5 new Oklahoma laws, from mushroom hunting to hospital prices
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
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Lawmakers fire Oklahoma mental health commissioner against governor's wishes
Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Allie Friesen speaks with a member of House staff before a committee meeting April 17, 2025, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – Lawmakers overnight Thursday voted to fire the state's embattled mental health commissioner. Saying that they had 'lost confidence' in Allie Friesen's ability to lead the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, legislators voted overwhelmingly to remove her effective immediately. It marked the first time in recent history that lawmakers had taken such a step. The move follows a series of legislative hearings probing financial disarray at the agency, which is responsible for a budget of more than $700 million. Lawmakers had to make a multi-million dollar emergency appropriation to cover payroll and ensure contracts were fulfilled, while the state auditor recently released a critical audit. The legislative maneuver drew the ire of Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt who has continued to defend Friesen. He called it a 'politically motivated witch hunt.' Stitt said he tasked Friesen to bring accountability and transparency to the agency and suggested the mismanagement went back a decade or more. 'She disturbed the status quo and questioned long held practices at the agency,' Stitt said. 'An agency rife with sweetheart deals and criminal elements was disrupted, and now elected officials are quickly working to set the apple cart right for those who seek to get rich off of Oklahoma taxpayers.' Senate Concurrent Resolution 12, authored by Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, said state law allows the Legislature to remove the Friesen with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. The measure passed the Senate by a vote of 43-1. The House passed it by a vote of 81-5. 'Our job is to come up here and make tough decisions,' West said. Rosino said the vote was needed to protect people that needed mental health services. He said the resolution didn't mean Friesen was dishonest or bad, adding that she was kind and nice. But she was not competent to run the large agency, he said. 'We do not have a choice,' Rosino said. He said that he didn't want the agency's issues to fester in the interim. Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, cast the lone Senate vote against the bill, saying Friesen was trying to fix the agency, which opened up a 'hornet's nest.' 'This is not the way to handle business,' he said. The measure does not require the signature of Stitt, who appointed Friesen to the post in January 2024. Friesen has blamed the financial situation on prior administrations, but Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond called for her termination. 'While I cannot begin to understand why Gov. Stitt has chosen to protect Allie Friesen instead of our tax dollars, I applaud the legislative resolution to remove this failed bureaucrat from office,' Drummond said Thursday. Stitt will now have to appoint a new person to run the mental health agency. Senate confirmation is required. Emma Murphy contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
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Oklahoma lawmakers overturn vetoes on dozens of measures, including mammograms, records transparency
Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman, front, talks with Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City, while awaiting votes on a veto override during the Senate session on Thursday. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House rose for a standing ovation Thursday after overturning the governor's veto of a bill expanding access to mammograms for early breast cancer detection. Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, the bill's author, said the standing ovation was 'powerful' and a reminder that people are humans before they are politicians. She was battling breast cancer for the length of the legislative session. Despite a nearly five hour delay in the Senate, the measure was one of nearly four dozen vetoes the House and Senate overturned on the penultimate day of session as they worked past midnight and into Friday morning before adjourning. Lawmakers moved to overturn the majority of Stitt's vetoes. Provenzano was met with another round of applause Thursday night when she returned to the House chamber after the Senate voted to finalize the veto override. 'I'm just reminded again, that we're humans first, politicians second,' Provenzano said. 'And I think every member and every staff member and the people in this building, if what we experienced here is going on in the state of Oklahoma, then it's time for something like this. Because everybody had a story of a sister or a mother, an aunt, a wife. And so it was just powerful.' Stitt said he vetoed the bill because while he is 'sympathetic' to those battling breast cancer, the legislation would have imposed 'new and costly' insurance mandates on private health plans and raised insurance premiums. To override a veto from the governor, two-thirds of representatives and senators must vote in favor of the measure or three-quarters if the measure contains an emergency provision. The dozens of overrides ranged from measures that aimed to increase public access to open records to missing and murdered indigenous people. Some of the measures lawmakers vetoed included: House Bill 2785 that gives the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services the ability to review the budget and finances of the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, which has had ongoing financial troubles. The governor said it was 'nonsensical and ineffective' to task one executive agency with micromanaging another; House Bill 2163 that gives the Attorney General's Office the power to enforce violations of the Open Records Act. Stitt said the bill would give Attorney General Gentner Drummond 'sweeping and unchecked authority' to access records from all state agencies, an 'unprecedented' power in Oklahoma. Drummond had previously urged lawmakers to override the veto; House Bill 2048 that prohibits insurers and pharmacy benefit managers from discriminatory reimbursement practices. Stitt wrote in his veto message that this was a federal issue and the Legislature should not insert itself. House Bill 1137 that removes a requirement that the Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons be federally funded, opening it up to state funding. Stitt said he vetoed the measure because he doesn't endorse legislation that 'singles out victims based solely on their race.' Stitt posted a video Thursday afternoon telling voters to closely watch how lawmakers vote on veto overrides. 'This is stuff I know is bad for Oklahoma, bad for taxpayers,' he said in the video. 'And you've got the Senate and House and special interest groups that are trying to override my vetoes.' Stitt said Thursday that he had vetoed 68 bills this session that would overregulate businesses and create higher taxes for Oklahomans. He said voters should pay attention to which lawmakers supported overrides of his vetoes. Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, referenced Stitt's comments while making a motion to override a veto on one of his bills, House Bill 2459, which pertains to fire safety in mobile food vehicles. 'Evidently, since the governor has called for all of us to be primaried that override his vetoes today, and his staff cant seem to read a bill correctly and they vetoed my bill, I make a motion to override the veto,' he said. Legislative proceedings stalled for nearly five hours after Senate leaders struggled to get the required number of votes necessary to override House Bill 2769. The measure contained a series of amendments to the leadership requirements and rules of the Oklahoma National Guard. The Senate passed the override just after 9 p.m. Stitt's override message said he vetoed the bill because it made major changes to the National Guard and state finances without a thorough fiscal analysis. 'While I applaud all our men and women who serve our country and our state in the National Guard, I cannot allow this bill to become law,' he wrote. '… The policies in this bill should be considered, reviewed, and debated as separate and distinct bills.' The bill makes several amendments to the qualifications necessary to serve as adjutant general of the Oklahoma National Guard, an officer overseeing administrative and personnel matters. The position could now be filled by someone with a rank of colonel or higher. It also grants the officer additional powers. The officer is to be compensated at the same rate of pay afforded to a major general. Several changes were also made to the Oklahoma Uniform Code of Military Justice. 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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
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Legislative resolution seeks the dismissal of Oklahoma mental health commissioner
On the final evening of the 2025 session of the Oklahoma Legislature, two lawmakers have filed a resolution to remove the embattled commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Senate Concurrent Resolution 13 was filed by Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Josh West, R-Tulsa. Copies of the resolution were distributed in the Senate chamber about 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29. By law, the Legislature must adjourn its current session by 5 p.m. Friday. Both chambers remained active Thursday night considering overrides of vetoes issued by Gov. Kevin Stitt. By 8:45 p.m., neither chamber had acted on the resolution to remove Friesen. Stitt appointed Friesen in January 2024 and has defended her work, even as multiple financial issues have engulfed the state agency. The agency is the subject of multiple investigations, both executive and legislative. Legislators had to make a special appropriation for the agency to complete the current fiscal year. According to the resolution, the budget shortfall is about $30 million. An audit conducted by State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd's office reported that department staff were made to sign non-disclosure agreements and were discouraged from cooperating with investigators who were trying to unravel the cause of the agency's financial crisis. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has called for Friesen to be removed, citing a 'financial meltdown' of her agency that showed 'nothing short of government malpractice.' 'The House and Senate have the legal authority to hold Friesen accountable for her ineptitude and mismanagement, and I urge every legislator to vote in favor of her removal,' Drummond said Thursday night. Stitt said the controversy surrounding Friesen is "a politically motivated witch hunt.""I tasked Allie Friesen with bringing accountability and transparency to the agency," Stitt said. "She disturbed the status quo and questioned long held practices at the agency. An agency rife with sweetheart deals and criminal elements was disrupted, and now, elected officials are quickly working to set the apple cart right for those who seek to get rich off of Oklahoma taxpayers." He said West and Rosino should ask themselves what they stand to gain by removing Frisen. The resolution said Friesen 'has the duty to oversee the delivery of all prevention, treatment, and education of mental health and substance abuse in the state and to ensure that the agency performs those services while having a budgetary and expenditure methodology that serves not only those Oklahoma citizens in need, but the employees and providers that deliver them.' It goes on to cite the budget shortfall and said, '(T)he Senate and the House of Representatives have lost confidence in Commissioner Friesen to identify, oversee, and manage the critical services delivered by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.' The resolution says the Legislature has a right, under law, to remove Friesen with a two-thirds vote of both legislative chambers. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Resolution calls for removal of mental health agency leader
