The Oklahoma Senate overwhelmingly passed two government accountability measures that are a part of a larger deal to give the governor the ability to hire the heads of five of the largest state agencies.

Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s bills would give the governor the ability to hire and fire the head of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (SB 456) and the director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (SB 457) with Senate confirmation.

“The century old system we operate now is broken. Agencies aren’t accountable to anyone other than a board of unelected bureaucrats. That is unacceptable and it must change,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Key parts of the bills are:

• 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
• The Senate Rules Committee voted unanimously to send the bill known as the Unity Bill to the full Senate.