House Media

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, on Wednesday passed a bill in the Oklahoma House of Representatives that is hoped to recruit more mental health professionals to serve rural residents. House Bill 2947 would credential behavioral health clinical interns to provide services that are eligible for Medicaid reimbursement under the state's Medicaid plan, provided they operate within their clinical scope of practice under the supervision of a licensed behavioral health provider. The bill also would create a small income stream for clinics to be able to attract interns through financial incentives such as mileage reimbursement, small stipends or hourly wages.  "Our rural areas are struggling for licensed mental health care providers," Grego said. "This legislation would provide some relief for clinics trying to attract graduate students and new professionals. With so many of our behavioral health workforce retiring, this kind of measure is essential to strengthen our capacity to serve Oklahomans who live in our rural areas." Grego reported that 37% of Oklahoma's population lives in rural areas, and almost 90% of the state's landmass is considered rural. "Recruiting behavioral health professionals to these areas is a high priority for our state," he said. Research shows the return on the state's small investment should be strong, Grego said. The hope is that between 30% and 60% of graduate students serving in rural areas will stay to begin their first post-graduate jobs within 100 miles of those locations. He said he examined new data showing that at least four Oklahoma counties currently have no licensed providers, and 10 counties have five or less. Grego said providing services as a clinical intern is a common part of their graduate level training. To ensure the highest level of oversight, these interns would only serve in clinical sites that are also national accredited or certified through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health. Under the bill, behavioral health clinical intern providers must only provide services that are billable through accredited clinical sites in good standing. On-site supervisors may only supervise up to six behavioral health clinical interns at any time. The bill passed the House on a vote of 81-8. It now moves to the Senate where it is authored by Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Tribal and External Affairs Leader Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, today announced he will not seek reelection for his final legislative term. First elected to the House in 2016, Fetgatter will finish his 10th year in office in November. "I'm ready for some new challenges and to move into my future," Fetgatter said. "This decision comes after much consideration and conversations with my family." "I'm grateful for the decade I've had to serve the daily needs of the incredible people in my House district and to represent Oklahomans all across the state. I appreciate the trust my constituents have placed in me. Even though I haven't been able to agree with everyone 100 percent of the time, I have always tried to make myself available, to listen and to collaborate to find solutions to the many pressing issues that face Oklahomans. "I want to thank my family for their forever support, my legislative assistant, Jamie Layne, and our amazing House staff for all of their assistance. I also want to thank all I've served with in the Oklahoma House, many of whom are my dear friends. Thank you for always supporting me." Fetgatter serves House District 16 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes parts of Muskogee, Okmulgee and Tulsa counties. He's a native Oklahoman, moving with his family to Okmulgee in 1972. After many years of working on tribal issues in the Legislature and being a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert named Fetgatter chairman of the Joint Committee on State and Tribal Relations and leader of tribal and external affairs for the House. He has worked to build bridges with the state's 39 sovereign tribes and to serve as a liaison between the House and Oklahoma's federal congressional delegation. Notably, he's worked with several tribes to improve rural water infrastructure, to enhance economic development opportunities between the state and the tribes, and to negotiate compacts and gaming issues. "My whole life I've believed with 39 tribal nations in the State of Oklahoma that contribute billions of dollars to our local economies, job creation, infrastructure and educational opportunities, the tribes are the greatest partners the state is blessed to have. I would like see better collaboration so this partnership thrives in the future," Fetgatter said. Fetgatter has chaired the House Appropriations and Budget Finance Subcommittee for seven years. He currently serves on the full Appropriations and Budget Committee as well as Alcohol, Tobacco and Controlled Substances and Business. He's also previously served as vice chair the Wildlife Committee and as a member of the following committees: Agriculture, Appropriations and Budget, Business and Commerce, County and Municipal Government, Public Safety, Technology and the Appropriations and Budget Human Services Subcommittee. He also has served at the speaker's request as the chair of the Oklahoma Ireland Trade Commission and as a member of the Joint Legislative Task Force on the Grand River Dam Authority and the Oklahoma-Israel Exchange Commission. He has focused much of his time in office to promoting economic development and diversity in Oklahoma to make the state more business friendly. In 2021, Fetgatter authored the Filmed in Oklahoma Act, creating one of the most competitive film incentives in the nation. Notable productions following the legislation include "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "Reservation Dogs," along with many other smaller films and documentaries. Fetgatter also authored the Automotive Engineering Tax Credit and secured a $4 million investment for the Governor's Quick Action Closing Fund, demonstrating his commitment to fostering economic development and stability in Oklahoma. Fetgatter also has taken a leadership role in helping to navigate regulation of the state's medical marijuana industry after state voter's approved its creation in 2018. As a first-year legislator, he was crucial in extending aerospace engineering incentives, and he helped prolong three tax credits for eight years, which created more stability and growth for aerospace companies. Two years after the extension, the aerospace industry became Oklahoma's second-largest economic driver, surpassing agriculture. Before his election to the House, Fetgatter owned a construction company specializing in themed construction. He also has worked in sales and marketing for many years as a salesman, trainer and manager. He grew up working in the grocery business at his father's local IGA. Fetgatter married his wife, Kim, in August 1990. The couple has two children, Meagan and Cody. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bipartisan package of reforms aimed at strengthening oversight of taxpayer dollars and reinforcing ethical standards in state and local government has passed House committees and is now eligible to be heard on the House floor. The initiative is led by Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, who collaborated with members of both parties after concerns surfaced about gaps in government spending oversight. The group worked closely with State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, after an audit revealed $93.4 million in questionable expenditures over the past year. Strom said the findings showed the need for stronger safeguards to ensure public funds are properly documented, transparently reported and used for their intended purposes. "When I read that audit, it was frustrating," Strom said. "Serving as chair of the General Government Committee, I knew we couldn’t ignore it. We sat down with the State Auditor to pinpoint breakdowns in contracting and procurement and began working on solutions that safeguard taxpayer dollars, cut unnecessary costs and prevent abuse. The people footing the bill deserve full confidence in how their money is being handled." After several months of collaboration, lawmakers advanced the measures to address ongoing concerns about government spending. The lawmakers say the proposals would create greater uniformity and clarity when contracts involving public funds are violated, helping ensure stronger accountability for the use of taxpayer dollars. Strom met regularly with Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus; Rep. Denise Crosswhite-Hader, R-Piedmont; Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene; Rep. Preston Stinson, R-Edmond; and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City. The group worked closely with Byrd, whose office conducted a detailed review of contracting practices, procurement systems and accountability laws to identify weaknesses. "The people of Oklahoma expect their government to operate in the open and within clear guardrails," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "As a group, we took a hard look at how public dollars move through the system and where transparency could be strengthened. These bills are about closing gaps and making sure accountability is built into every step of the process. They also establish clear guardrails so that once lawmakers appropriate funds, agencies are not simply free to spend that money however they choose. Taxpayers deserve nothing less." Byrd said the lawmakers who are working on these bills are doing a great service for the taxpayers of Oklahoma. "If the bills are signed into law, it would be a great step forward in accountability," Byrd said. "I have spent the last seven years blowing the whistle on government mismanagement but our current laws are not designed to hold bad actors accountable. I highly commend each of these lawmakers for demanding the financial guardrails Oklahoma desperately needs. Even our greatest problems can be solved when our leaders unite behind a singular purpose.” The reform package includes the following measures: House Bill 3419 – Would strengthens state ethics laws by making it a felony for current or former state or local officials, employees or contractors to use confidential government information for personal financial gain. Convictions could include prison time, fines and a prohibition on holding public office or entering into state contracts. House Bill 3413 – Would expand transparency in state agency contracting by requiring agencies to publicly list contractors, contract values and project status. It also mandates posting consultant reports and disclosing whether contracts are for outside services or to supplement staffing. House Bill 3414 – Would direct the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to improve accounting systems to clearly distinguish between service contracts and staff augmentation. It also requires permanent documentation for digital and intangible assets purchased by agencies. House Bill 3415 – Would require vendors to disclose subcontractors, sets stronger documentation standards and mandates post-project reviews to confirm work was completed on time and within budget. The bill also creates a publicly accessible database of state contracts. House Bill 3416 – Would allow counties to seek quotes for certain smaller purchases instead of always using a lengthy bidding process, while maintaining safeguards and documentation requirements to prevent misuse. House Bill 3417 – Would clarify that cities and towns must follow state competitive bidding laws and may not adopt local rules that weaken or bypass those standards. House Bill 3418 – Would update the Public Competitive Bidding Act by refining procedures for public construction projects, clarifying definitions and ensuring consistent bidding practices, including for school district contracts. House Bill 3420 – Would amend the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act to strengthen oversight when contracts are negotiated rather than competitively bid. It would require stronger justification, clearer documentation and public reporting of procurement activity, and directs OMES to publish purchasing reports online for public review. All of the bills are now eligible to be considered on the House floor.