March 26, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 10

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Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901 No shortage of executive overreach The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City The Republican-controlled Legislature wasted little time approving one of the top items on Gov. Kevin Stitt’s wish THaENAN ¢, list -- providing the governor with more authority over state agency directors. The question now is whether Stitt will feel he needs to use this clout any time soon. Stitt on Wednesday signed the five bills that allow the © IF Ane Cont MW€2L comics.com EMAIL; hpayne@detnews,com governor to choose who leads the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Department of Transportation, the Depart- ment of Mental Health and Substance Abuses Services, the Department ofCorrections and the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Each of the directors was approved by their respective boards. These new bills leave the hiring and firing of the directors not to the boards but to the governor (with Senate Bill provides some unity confirmation). The legislation keeps the boards in place, but allows members to be removed at will. The Oklahoman, Oklahoma in part from failure by leg- Oklahoma Medical Marijuana minimize appeal to minors. City islators to deal with medical Authority under the state Only allopathic and osteo- The governor also will be able to appoint a majority of marijuana on their own. That Health Department umbrella, pathic physicians licensed in the various boards’ members, and the House and Senate There is a touch of irony to opened the door to an initia- and creates a revolving fund the state can provide recom- will be able to make board appointments as well. the moniker -- the Unity Bill tive petition drive and, ulti- for that body, to be funded by mendations for the patient li- -- given to legislation creating mately, a state question with fines and fees collected by the censes needed to buy medical The agencies impacted by this change are among the a framework for Oklahoma's few regulations and overly OMMA. marijuana. Medical cannabis largest in state government. And, in our view, they’re all medical marijuana rules. broad language, including The bill creates a use businesses will be required to being led capably. Becky Pasternik-Ikard oversees the After all, this issue has been that the law be implemented registry of medical marijuana meet various record-keeping Health Care Authority, which administers Medicaid in acrimonious since before vot- within 30 days of passage. license holders, and creates regulations. ers approved medical pot last The Legislature gave requirements for the testing, Echols has said one goal Oklahoma. Mike Patterson is head of transportation, Terri summer. that job to the state Health labeling and packaging of was not to micromanage the White directs mental health, Joe Allbaugh is director of the Following the passage of Department, whose initial medical pot. The bill also pro- fledgling industry. Sen. Greg DOC and Steven Buck runs the Office of Juvenile Affairs. State Question 788 in June, framework drew howls of vides guidelines for various ‘McCortney, R-Ada, who backers of medical marijuana criticism as “unworkable” license holders. Buck was also Stitt’s choice to become secretary for hu- were eager to get going. In and an effort to “kneecap” joined Echols as co-chair of The Health Department is man services and early childhood initiatives -- clearly, the fact, amedical cannabis clinic the program. Eventually, a the working group, said the authorized to perform on-site opened in Tulsa on the day intention of HB 2612 is “to legislative working group met assessments of dispensaries, governor is a fan. All five are passionate advocates for their provide some normal legis- agencies and the people served by them. From the outside, after the vote, with many of 13 times over several weeks and is charged with ensuring those who showed up assum- to work on a solution. lative language and ensure the laws are being followed there have been no obvious problems with the current ing they could get the product The Unity Bill, or House good medical marijuana in and assessing penalties for heads, but no one is guaranteed a top job now without mak- then and there. The head of Bill 2612, was largely a result violations. Oklahoma.” ing the head man happy. a trade group that supported of that effort. Authored by Under the bill, smokableThe bill passed by a vote SQ788 felt it necessary to House Majority Leader Jon marijuana products are of 93-5 in the House and 43-5 One impetus for these bills was the 2017-18 debacle at issue a warning about bogus Echols, R-Oklahoma City, and subject to the same public in the Senate -- producing, in the Department of Health, where agency leaders claimed clinics materializing. signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt on consumption rules as tobacco. the end, a considerable bit of they faced a $30 million budget shortfall. The Legislature The uncertainty stemmed Thursday, the bill creates the Product packaging should unity at the Capitol. provided an emergency infusion -- only to learn the agency had the necessary funds all along. The state’s multi-county grand jury criticized the Legislature for not digging deeply Dems should leave enough into budget requests, but also said the Health Department's board “failed to provide proper financial oversight.” Stitt subsequently campaigned on the need to give the governor more say in how government is run. These bills will do that. “With this legislation we are ensuring Okla- homa’s government is truly accountable to the people of Electoral College alone Oklahoma,” Stitt said. The Oklahoman, Okla- generate even less interest Clinton’s vote total. Consequently, you can Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, homa City from presidential candidates ‘Two of the past three Re- have Bill Clinton win just 43 added that now, “Oklahomans will know clearly where the because they would spend publican presidents have won percent of the popular vote in buck stops: with the governor.” Ata town hall in Missis- most of their time in the the office despite losing the sippi last week, Democratic country’s population centers. popular vote, which agitates 1992 but 68.8 percent of the ‘That goes for Republican and Democratic governors presidential candidate Sen. The Electoral College Democrats. Yet as Jonah electoral votes. Or Barack alike, although in arguing against the proposals, Democrat- Elizabeth Warren joined the makes the presidential elec- Goldberg wrote last year, Obama win 52.9 percent of ic leaders said they constituted a power grab that would ranks of those in her party tion a process of 50 statewide Democrats for years liked to who want to see the Elec- elections, which means can- tout their Electoral College the popular vote in 2008 but hinder transparency and foster cronyism. It falls to Stitt to toral College abolished. Her didates must appeal to the di- advantage -- the “blue wall” 67.8 percent of the electoral show that won’t be the case, by making wise and deliberate reasoning left alittle to be verse interests of residents in of 18 states “where Demo- vote. Or Woodrow Wilson win use of this new executive authority. desired, however. many states. States’ electoral crats consistently won from 42 percent of the popular vote In remarks at Jackson votes are already weighted 1992 to 2012, adding up to State University, Warren based on population. Under 242 of the 270 electoral votes but 82 percent of the electoral said the change is needed to apure popular vote system, needed to win.” Due in part Have a letter to ensure that “every vote mat- those scales would be tilted to Clinton’s overconfidence in votes in 1912. Warren’s call is mostly ters,” and said that because of even more toward high-den- the region, Trump punctured the editor? Email the Electoral College system, states like Mississippi and sity (and generally blue) states. that wall in 2016 and is presi- dent because of it. rhetoric, because eliminating the Electoral College would it to editor@ others are de-emphasized because they aren’t key swing Warren and others likely Following Trump's elec- wouldn’t be concerning them- tion, George Will argued that require changing the Consti- tution, and that’s a heavy lift states like Pennsylvania or ecdailynews.com Ohio. selves with the Electoral Col- lege if Donald Trump hadn't the Electoral College “shapes the character of majorities by indeed. Yet her recommenda- On the contrary, it’s the become president despite helping to generate those that tion rings of sour grapes. The or stop by 206 W. Electoral College that makes winning about 3 million fewer are neither geographically nation faces many issues that smaller states like Missis- votes than Hillary Clinton. nor ideologically narrow, and Broadway, Elk City. sippi and Oklahoma relevant. If the system were done away Three states -- California, New York and Illinois -- com- that depict, more than the popular vote does, national merit candidates’ attention. The Electoral College is not with, smaller states would bined to provide one-fifth of decisiveness.” one of them.