Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoes bill that would have protected two of his Cabinet secretaries

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed a bill Tuesday afternoon that would have protected two members of his Cabinet from an opinion recently issued by Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

The governor's veto surprised some lawmakers and drew a harsh rebuke from Drummond.

Senate Bill 1196 would have exempted Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur from the dual role prohibition of the Oklahoma Constitution. Arthur serves as Stitt's Cabinet secretary for agriculture and at the same time is the CEO of the state Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. The bill also applied to Susan Winchester, Stitt's Cabinet secretary for licensing and regulation. Winchester is president of the Regents of the Regional Universities System of Oklahoma.

The measure, written by House Majority Leader Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, carried over from the 2023 session and was supported by the leaders of each chamber. The bill passed the House of Representatives on a 94-1 vote and later cleared the Senate 41-0.

Stitt announced the veto in a media statement. He said the legislation wasn't necessary because the law was already clear: The governor can choose his cabinet from among the agency directors.

"It was clear in 2019 when I hired Blayne Arthur as Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and it was clear in 2019 and again in 2023 when I chose her as my Secretary of Agriculture,” the governor's statement said. “She is one of the most respected agriculture professionals in the nation, and we are lucky to have her here in Oklahoma. Not only that, but she has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times."

Stitt said Arthur would, without question, continue to operate as his secretary of agriculture and as the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture.

"I want the best people leading agencies and advising me on policy as we work to be a Top Ten state," he said.

Debate rages between Stitt, Drummond

Not long after the governor's announcement, Drummond responded to Stitt in a tersely written media statement. Drummond praised the Legislature's efforts in passing the bill. The attorney general's opinion noted there are already 30 statutory exemptions to the prohibition on dual office-holding.

“I applaud the Legislature for its efforts to provide dual-office exemptions to Secretaries Arthur and Winchester, which is the only appropriate way for one person to legally hold multiple offices,” Drummond's statement said. “The Governor could have approved these exemptions and allowed his appointees to continue serving without any uncertainty regarding their proper status. However, his veto makes clear that he is more interested in pursuing needless litigation than working with policymakers to solve the problem.”

Drummond's opinion, requested by Democratic Sen. Mary Boren, of Norman, forced the resignations of Transportation Secretary Tim Gatz, who also headed the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Turnpike Authority, and Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who served as the Stitt's secretary of workforce development.

Since the opinion's release, Stitt has doubled down on his criticism of Drummond, claiming Drummond had weaponized his office.

"Unfortunately they (Gatz and Pinnell) have been caught up in some political games up to this point," the governor said during a recent meeting with reporters. "It's just super disappointing. I know it's disappointing for Oklahomans that we have these type of political games happening instead of doing the business of making Oklahoma a top 10 in everything we do."

Echols said last week the bill was sparked by Drummond's opinion and was designed to protect Arthur's position.

"The current Secretary of Agriculture is a well-respected and talented public servant who is almost universally respected both in the Agriculture community and in the political world," Echols, wrote in a summary of the measure. "It is not an attempt by the legislature to wade into areas it should not. It is not an attempt to legislatively affirm or overrule any decision by the honorable attorney general or of the honorable executive. It is an attempt to reach a policy objective. And that objective is to ensure an incredible public servant does not lose her position."

State Rep. Mickey Dollens, an Oklahoma City Democrat, criticized the veto but added he was proud of the bipartisan work done on the bill.

"As the adage goes, 'pride leads to destruction and arrogance to downfall,'" Dollens said in a message to The Oklahoman. "I am proud of the state legislature for upholding the rule of law and working together in a bipartisan fashion to provide dual-office exemptions as recommended by Attorney General Drummond."

Neither Echols nor Howard could be reached for comment.

While the large margin of votes on the bill could ensure a successful override of Stitt's veto, it's unclear what action lawmakers are planning. Currently, Drummond's opinion is the subject of a lawsuit filed in Oklahoma County District Court.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OK gov. vetoes bill in continuing fight over Cabinet appointments