Oklahoma Senate bills would shift hiring authority away from governor at tourism and mental health agencies

Two Senate measures revisit prior expansions of gubernatorial control

Two proposals advancing in the Oklahoma Senate would roll back authority previously placed in the governor’s office over leadership at two major state agencies: tourism and mental health. The measures arrive amid continuing scrutiny of both agencies following high-profile controversies, leadership turnover and questions about oversight structures.

The bills are Senate Bill 1327 and Senate Bill 1430, both authored by Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher. Each would shift the power to appoint and remove an agency head away from the governor and back to a governing commission or board.

What Senate Bill 1327 would change at Tourism and Recreation

SB 1327 would return to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission the authority to hire, fire and set compensation for the agency’s executive director. A 2018 law enacted during former Gov. Mary Fallin’s administration made the commission advisory and moved its core duties to an executive director appointed by the governor.

The tourism agency has faced sustained attention since the state’s now-canceled contract with Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen to operate restaurants in multiple state parks. The state paid nearly $17 million tied to the project before the contract was terminated amid allegations of overbilling. A criminal case connected to the matter has been pending, and defendants have denied wrongdoing.

More recently, the agency’s leadership changed again after Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt announced her retirement in 2024 following a critical state audit related to contract payments during her prior state service. Zumwalt denied wrongdoing.

What Senate Bill 1430 would change at Mental Health

SB 1430 would change the appointing authority for the commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, giving the department’s governing board the power to appoint and remove the commissioner rather than the governor.

The agency has been at the center of fiscal and operational turmoil. In May 2025, the Legislature removed then-commissioner Allie Friesen, a rare use of legislative authority that reflected escalating concerns about agency finances and management. After her removal, Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed retired Rear Adm. Gregory Slavonic as interim commissioner in June 2025.

Committee action and the broader governance debate

• SB 1430 advanced from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on a recorded vote of 8-2.
• SB 1327 advanced from the Senate Economic Development, Workforce and Tourism Committee on a recorded vote of 9-0.

The measures also reopen a long-running policy dispute at the Capitol: whether agency heads should answer primarily to boards and commissions or directly to the governor as the state’s elected chief executive. In recent years, laws expanded the governor’s authority over several large agencies, including corrections, transportation and health care, alongside mental health.

If enacted, SB 1327 and SB 1430 would reduce gubernatorial appointment power at two agencies that have seen repeated leadership changes and intensified oversight.

The bills next face consideration by the full Senate, where leadership has indicated they will be reviewed before any floor vote.