Oklahoma lawmakers passed a concurrent resolution to remove Commissioner Allie Friesen from her role as the head of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Friesen in January 2024, but lawmakers' confidence in her leadership waned as increasing financial issues at the department came to light, including a $30 million budget shortfall.
According to the resolution, the Senate and House of Representatives "lost confidence in Commissioner Friesen to identify, oversee, and manage the critical services" provided by the department.
Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, co-authored the measure.
Rosino has been vocal about his frustration with the department since the beginning of May, speaking to reporters after committee hearings he co-chaired
"If we continue down this path, then the people of Oklahoma, they're the ones who suffer," Rosino said.
Despite building criticism, Stitt has remained steadfast in his support for Friesen.
"From the start, this was nothing more than a politically motivated witch hunt. I tasked Allie Friesen with bringing accountability and transparency to the agency," Stitt said in a statement Thursday night. "An agency rife with sweetheart deals and criminal elements was disrupted, and now, elected officials are quickly working to set the apple cart right for those who seek to get rich off of Oklahoma taxpayers."
He called out Rosino directly, asking what he and his wife, who is a part-time employee at the department, had to gain if Friesen were ousted.
"Is Senator Rosino trying to help his wife avoid responsibility for her role in the finance department there?" Stitt wrote.
On the Senate floor, more than a dozen lawmakers debated in favor of the resolution to remove Friesen. Many expressed disgust with Stitt's insinuation about Rosino's wife and chided Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, for echoing them.
"I'm very disappointed in our governor that he would put out a press release as disrespectful and disingenuous as this one," Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle said. "We are doing our job tonight and protecting the taxpayers, and more importantly, we're protecting those vulnerable Oklahomans that depend on these services."
Later, in a press release, Paxton called Friesen's appointment by Stitt part of a "pattern" of failure.
"The executive branch continues to produce multimillion-dollar disasters that are routinely dumped in the Legislature's lap to clean up," Paxton wrote. "The legislature entrusted this governor with more control of this agency, and he has wrecked it in record time."
Senators also cited the effect budget concerns have had on mental health and substance abuse providers in the state.
"We cannot afford another year, another month, or even another day under this failed leadership," Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said. "The people of this state deserve better. The families that are suffering in silence deserve better. Our mental health professionals, stretched thin and burnt out, deserve better."
After passing through the Senate with a 43-1 vote, the resolution moved to the House of Representatives. Lawmakers again passed the measure, with a 81-5 vote, solidifying the end of Friesen's leadership.
Friesen's termination is effective immediately. Stitt is charged with finding an interim replacement.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
