'Legislative Take Over': Local Leaders Respond To Bill Limiting OKC, Tulsa Health Departments
Local leaders are speaking out against a bill that passed out of the Oklahoma House of Representatives to limit the power of the state's two largest health departments.
“This is a legislative take over, or an attempt to manipulate the makeup of our board,” Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan said Monday.
Maughan and Commissioner Carrie Blumert took a rare step officially voting to oppose HB 2504 as a board. A representative for Commissioner Kevin Calvey abstained from voting in the commissioner’s absence.
Among other things, the bill requires the Oklahoma and Tulsa City County Health Department directors perform duties "in consultation" with the state health commissioner and would ban local rules from being "more stringent" than state guidelines. It also allows the state health commissioner to force a vote on removing the local director.