Pro Tem Greg Treat announces bipartisan working group for Senate confirmation process

Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat on Wednesday announced the members of a bipartisan working group to study the Senate’s confirmation process for executive nominations.

Pro Tem Treat made the announcement a week after new laws went into effect giving the governor the ability to hire and fire the heads of five of the largest state agencies. To ensure the proper vetting of executive nominations moving forward, Pro Tem Treat said he has tasked the working group with developing recommendations on how to make the Senate confirmation process more thorough and complete.

“I made the commitment to members of the Senate while advocating for this new appointment power for the governor that I would appoint a bipartisan working group to ensure the Senate confirmation process would be thorough and complete,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City. “Senate confirmation of executive nominations has always been an important function of the institution. With the new gubernatorial appointments of agency directors, it’s even more important that we get it right and thoroughly vet executive nominations to ensure the men and women nominated are qualified and capable leaders who will serve the state of Oklahoma well. I look forward to reviewing the recommendations of the working group.”

Pro Tem Treat has set a deadline of April 4th for the working group to submit its recommendations to his office. The members of the working group are:
Senator Kim David, R-Porter
Senator Roger Thompson, R-Okemah
Senator Frank Simpson, R-Springer
Senator Rob Standridge, R-Norman
Senator Darrell Weaver, R-Moore
Senator Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City
Senator Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City