Stitt Purges Only Two Doctors on the Oklahoma Health Care Authority Board, Undermines Health Care Agency’s Independence
For years, independent state agency boards and the legislature were in charge of vetting and putting qualified people in charge to make decisions based on the public interest – not politics. Governor Stitt and the state legislature changed that in 2019. Stitt now has the ability to hire and fire directors for some of the […]
Stitt Nominated Unqualified Candidates; Tried to Reduce Qualification Requirements for Agency Leadership
In 2020, Kevin Stitt surprised even lawmakers from his own party when he called on the legislature to reduce the qualifications required to lead the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the Commissioners Land Office. Legislation to reduce the qualifications for the health care positions was met […]
Stitt Appointed an Attorney General Who Was Rated as “Unqualified” to Be a Federal Judge
In July 2021, Stitt appointed John O’Connor as the state’s Attorney General. O’Connor had previously been nominated to a federal judgeship, but he withdrew his name from consideration after the American Bar Association’s rating committee unanimously rated O’Connor “unqualified” to be a federal judge. O’Connor was just the fifth person in more than six decades […]