Senate approves ‘hire and fire’ power for Gov. Stitt

A day after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced a legislative agreement in support of a move to give him the power to hire and fire state agency heads, the State Senate approved his request.

Five bills were approved Wednesday including SB 457 which would give Stitt the power to appoint or fire the director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Another bill, SB456 would give him the same authority over the director of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat sponsored the five bills.

“The century old system we operate now is broken. Agencies aren’t accountable to anyone other than a board of unelected bureaucrats,” he said in a statement issued by his office. “That is unacceptable and it must change. As the CEO of the executive branch, Oklahoma’s governor needs the ability to hire a team to enact his or her vision for the state.”

Treat said under the bills approved by the Senate, agency directors would be directly accountable to the governor under the government accountability bills.

“That’s the best way to inject more accountability into state government and give the governor the ability to truly make improvements all across state government,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Key parts of government accountability bills:

  • The governor would have the authority to hire and fire the agency leader with Senate confirmation.
  • State agencies would maintain governing boards, but board members will serve at will and a conflict of interest provision is included in legislation.
  • The governor would appoint a majority of the board members, and the House and Senate would gain appointment seats on the boards.
  • The House and Senate would be able to remove agency leaders with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

SB 456 passed on a 37-9 vote, and SB 457 was approved on a 36-9 vote. Both measures now head to the House of Representatives.

The other bills in the government accountability agreement are:

  • HB 2480, Oklahoma Department of Corrections
  • HB 2479, Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs
  • HB 2483, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services