OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Governor Kevin Stitt recently vetoed a bill that would have split the power to appoint Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s board members.
Currently, all six members of Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s Board of Directors are appointed by the governor.
House Bill 2263 would give the Governor, the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate two appointments each.
The Governor would appoint members from Districts 1 (Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, McClain and Garvin counties) and 2 (Washington, Nowata, Craig, Ottawa, Rogers, Mayes, Delaware, Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair, Okmulgee, Osage, Muskogee, Sequoyah, McIntosh and Haskell counties).
The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives would appoint the members from Districts 3 (Coal, Logan, Payne, Lincoln, Creek, Okfuskee, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Hughes and Pontotoc counties) and 4 (Kay, Pawnee, Garfield, Noble, Tulsa, Woods, Woodward, Major, Alfalfa and Grant counties).
The President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate would appoint the members from Districts 5 (Cimarron, Grady, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Ellis, Roger Mills, Dewey, Custer, Caddo, Washita, Beckham, Harmon, Stephens, Jefferson, Greer, Kiowa, Jackson, Tillman, Comanche, Cotton, Kingfisher and Blaine counties) and 6 (Carter, Love, Murray, Johnston, Marshall, Atoka, Bryan, Pittsburg, Latimer, Le Flore, Pushmataha, Choctaw and McCurtain counties).
In his veto message, Stitt wrote, “Enrolled House Bill 2263 would shift the lion’s share of appointments to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, a non appropriated entity, from the executive to legislative departments. Such a shift-from six members appointed by the Governor to two members appointed by the Governor and four members appointed by legislative leadership would codify legislative superiority and control over the operation of an executive branch agency and would enable the Legislature to exercise unconstitutionally coercive influence over the executive department.”
The Legislature would have to override his veto by May 26.
