Oklahoma City Representative Chris Kannady, who wrote the bill, said it would put every county health department on the same page, but those opposed said it is an overreach.
House Bill 2504 would take away a city appointment to the Tulsa and OKC health boards and replace that person with a state health commissioner appointee.
The director would then be required to discuss actions with the state health commissioner and ban local rules from being more strict than state guidelines.
It would also allow the state health commissioner to force a vote to remove the local director.
Critics said this is an obvious way to overstep and centralize power, give political appointees control, and undermine residents health and safety.
House Committee Advances Bill To Limit Tulsa, OKC Health Departments thebulltulsa.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thebulltulsa.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Enid News and Eagle /The Enid News and Eagle
Kris Steele, executive director for Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, talks to State Question 805 supporters. Brianna Bailey / The Frontier
Rep. John Pfeiffer was frustrated by what he saw on social media in the days after mostly urban Oklahoma voters approved Medicaid expansion by a razor-thin margin last summer.
A barrage of posts criticized, scorned and demeaned rural Oklahomans for what some called voting against their best interests. Medicaid expansion, many experts agree, will help struggling rural hospitals and offer over 200,000 low-income individuals â many of whom live in rural areas â health insurance.
Quinton Chandler / StateImpact Oklahoma
Oklahoma has made some big changes to its justice system in recent years. Activists and lawmakers proposed big picture reforms and some of the suggestions succeeded.
Voters decided to give more lenient sentences to people convicted of drug possession and certain low level property crimes in 2016. Lawmakers extended those benefits to some people convicted of the same crimes before the law changed.
Lawmakers also made granting state prisoners parole easier and more efficient leading to increases in early releases. People living under state supervision now face less strict penalties for breaking technical rules they’re required to follow.
Oklahoma Lawmakers Propose Targeted Criminal Justice Reforms kgou.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kgou.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.