The Senate confirms 143 of the governor’s 149 executive nominations; Stitt remains “concerned” about the process

The Oklahoma Senate has approved 143 of Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt’s 149 nominees for various state government positions this year, but the governor still isn’t satisfied.

Despite the high number of confirmations, the governor expressed concern on Wednesday about the confirmation process, saying the Senate had only partially completed its work and that he was deeply disappointed that some of his nominations had not been confirmed.

“I appreciate the work of the Senate in confirming most of my nominations, but there is no point in celebrating the work being partially completed,” Stitt said in a message to The Oklahoman. “To date, they have left Commerce without a full time leader and many cabinet positions vacant, all without a convincing justification for not taking a vote. It is clear that politics has clouded the judgment of those charged with confirming leadership appointments. This begs the question, who is pulling the strings of the Senate?”

The confirmation process, called “advice and consent,” is similar to the process used by the federal government. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor has the authority to appoint members of his cabinet and various agencies, boards and commissions. However, these nominations must be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate.

More: Despite the committee’s approval, the Senate rejects one of Stitt’s nominees to the OSU Board of Regents

On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed a wide range of nominees, including Josh Cockroft as Secretary of State, Ellen Buettner as administrator of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and Matthew R. Burba to the Oklahoma Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board.

Nominations rejected or passed over by the Senate

And while most gubernatorial nominees can be easily confirmed, a few candidates, like Norman’s Susan Bergen, were rejected with “no” votes this week. In other cases, the nomination is never voted out of committee or the senator assigned to make it declines.

Stitt cited Heather Turner’s nomination to director of the state Department of Commerce as an example of a nomination that should have been considered by the Senate but was not.

Turner’s nomination was assigned to the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, but last week Treat said “there are really big concerns” about Turner. Because the committee didn’t meet, Turner’s nomination is essentially dead.

On Wednesday, Stitt responded with a terse email to Treat expressing “deeply disappointed that the Senate has chosen not to consider the nomination of Heather Turner to be executive director of the Department of Commerce.”

“The Senate regulations state that ‘nominations are submitted for consideration to the standing committee under whose jurisdiction the entity to which the nomination relates falls,'” wrote the voivode. “The Senate abdicated its responsibilities by not even hearing from Heather Turner.”

More: Despite the committee’s approval, the Senate rejects one of Stitt’s nominees to the OSU Board of Regents

Turner is a pillar of her community, Stitt wrote. He said Turner “sees the opportunity and momentum we need to seize now for Oklahoma, and shares my vision of making us a top-10 state in everything we do.”

“She is perfectly positioned to drive better trade results, transform the agency and support our shared vision of making Oklahoma the most business-friendly state in the nation. There is no one better to continue to put Oklahoma on the world stage,” the governor said. “Not even hearing from her is a surprising trend in the state Senate.”

The governor’s email showed that the Senate also did not give Chad Marisca a fair chance when he was appointed to the governor’s cabinet as commerce secretary last year.

“Mariska took APS FireCo Holdings Company out of Tulsa and built it into one of the largest fire protection companies in the US. “He is also a respected investor and philanthropist who understands that economic development not only creates jobs, but can transform and uplift entire communities,” Stitt wrote. “Just a few months in this position and in the process of crafting the state’s economic development strategy, the Senate failed to consider his nomination without a supermajority vote at the end of the 2023 session.”

Stitt said the Senate “sent a chilling message last year that made it harder for the state to recruit top talent because of a political move to eliminate a proven economic development leader.”

Oklahoma Senate President Says Actions Are Due to Stitt’s ‘Tan Tantrum’ Over Tax Policy

Senate pro tempore Greg Treat responded that afternoon in an email saying that the information the governor was acting on as executive director of the Commerce Department was incorrect.

“The candidate in question has been referred to the Business and Trade Committee for consideration. The decision of the chairman and several members of the committee determined that the candidate was unqualified and unsuitable for this role. Accordingly, the nomination will not be advanced,” Treat wrote.

As for the Senate’s action against Mariska, Treat wrote that it was due to a “tantrum” the governor threw over tax policy.

“Regarding Mr. Mariska’s last session, he was voted out of committee unanimously due to your actions in vetoing 20 Senate bills out of a tantrum over tax policy, rather than vetoing based on the merits or otherwise of the bills,” Treat wrote. “Furthermore, Mr. Mariska was noticeably absent from the Capitol at the end of the last session as we worked with you to prepare a major economic development project in northeastern Oklahoma.” Stitt countered that the failure of Turner’s nomination unfortunately put the state in the same position again. “For almost two years, there was no confirmed leadership at Commerce, and his deputy served in various roles, including an executive director who was tasked with leading the agency,” the governor said. “I have to ask: What message is the Senate trying to send to Oklahomans, potential leaders of any agency, and most importantly, job creators? Do you believe that our state’s economic development efforts will not be hampered by the Department of Commerce going 18+ months without permanent leadership because of your actions or lack thereof?”

Treat said the Senate took its role of advising and consenting to executive nominations very seriously.

“This is not an ordinary stamp,” wrote the pro tempore. “While we have found the majority of your nominees to be qualified and exemplary during this session, we will not hesitate to deny promotion to candidates who we believe are unqualified or unsuitable for the position to which you have appointed them.”

The second session of Oklahoma’s 59th Legislature closes Friday at 5 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate Confirms Most Leadership Nominations Amid Stitt, Treat Conflict