Tulsa lawmaker files bill in response to physicians' removal from OHCA
Oklahoma City, Okla. (KOKH) — Representative Monroe Nichols has introduced new legislation he says will take politics out of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.
HB 2971will alter how members of the board that governs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority are appointed, reducing the power of Gov. Kevin Stitt.
This move comes after Stitt's quick dismissal of the only two physicians on the OHCA board.
"Our governor is more focused on this political future and doesn't have a whole lot of regard for our state's institutions and core services," said Nichols. "The dismissals have had a chilling affect on our healthcare system across the state and doing so none the less during a pandemic.”
The governor was able to make these quick dismissal under new power he was given back in 2019 by the Republican Caucus.Senate Bill 456 gave the governor the ability to hire, fire and set the salary of the OHCA director.
Rep. Nichols says he's now working to reverse some of that power and return some kind of balance to state government with HB 2971.
"House Bill 2971 will restore independence and effectiveness by taking six important steps," said Nichols.
In those six important steps, two of the governor's appointees must be consumers of the state's Medicaid system. There's also a provision that states one of those appointees needs to be a licensed physician.
The bill would restore language about board member experience and racial and gender diversity.
Nichols says it would also change the terms of board members to align to the term of their appointer - which he says would take away quick dismissals.
The measure would consider job qualifications of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority administrator and makes sure the administrator is servicing the will of the agency, not the governor.
The bill is getting support from others on the democratic caucus.
"What I would like to see and I think what my colleagues would like to see, is a legislature that respects the experience and enterprise of those who deal directly with the subject matter that we're making policy for," said Representative Forrest Bennett.
Governor Stitt's office responded to this proposed legislation.
"Governor Stitt’s agency reforms, which were overwhelmingly passed by the Legislature in 2019, continue delivering positive outcomes for Oklahomans while holding state agencies accountable," said Carly Atchison, Stitt's Communications Director. "Democrats' push to undo this progress is an out-of-touch political stunt designed to score points with special interest groups and unelected bureaucrats.”
The bill will be introduced in the next upcoming legislative session.
In the meantime, Nichols says they will be working to get some bipartisan support.
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