Welcome to the Oklahoma House of Representatives

OKLAHOMA CITY – Just before Thanksgiving, Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola, Kevin West, R-Moore, and Rick West, R-Heavener, filed a new brief asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to overturn a $127 million rate increase for OG&E as well as some $760 million of the utility’s ratepayer-backed bonds. Both were approved by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) with votes by embattled Commissioner Todd Hiett.  The rate increase has been in effect since July 2024. Payments for the bonds, issued to cover costs incurred by OG&E during February 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, have been collected as “Winter Event Securitization (WES)” charges on customers’ bills since July 2022. If not overturned, the rate increase will continue in perpetuity; the monthly WES charges are scheduled to continue for another 25 years. Wednesday’s brief was the second such request to the court last month. On Nov. 10, Gann filed a similar brief asking the court to overturn $250 million in rate increases and some $700 million in ratepayer-backed bonds the OCC had approved for Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO). To date, this brings the totals officially challenged to $377 million in rate increases and more than $1.4 billion in bonds. The appeals ask the court to order everything wrongly collected to be refunded to OG&E and PSO customers. Both briefs tell the court that the OCC failed to provide a required audit of the bonds in OG&E and PSO’s most recent rate cases. They also argue the utilities’ original 2021 Uri costs that were securitized into the bonds were never lawfully audited either. The briefs assert the audit failures make the OCC’s orders void.  Oklahoma utilities OG&E, PSO, ONG and CenterPoint/Summit paid some of the highest natural gas prices in U.S. history during a two-week cold snap in February 2021, incurring some $2.8 billion in debt. Interest and other expenses added another $2 billion, bringing the total cost of the bonds being paid by Oklahoma utility customers close to $5 billion. The appeal briefs focus on a report by former Oklahoma Accountancy Board Chairman David Greenwell filed at the OCC in July 2024. In it, Greenwell said the OCC’s audit activities with respect to the winter storm costs and bonds “do not appear to comply with state law.” Former OCC Commissioner Bob Anthony also repeatedly criticized the one-page audits the OCC was putting forward to meet statutory requirements. “When Oklahoma law requires an audit, the Accountancy Act says it has to be done by independent, licensed CPAs following nationally recognized standards,” said Gann, who is a former internal auditor for Tulsa International Airport. “That did not happen.”  “Although all three of us voted against the securitization legislation in April 2021, we do not believe that our colleagues who voted for it meant for the utilities to audit themselves, or for the Corporation Commission to make up its own definition of the word ‘audit,’” Kevin West said. “The apparently fraudulent audits are inexcusable. The law requires real audits, and the Accountancy Act defines auditing standards for a reason.” Gann, Kevin West and Rick West argue the effect of the OCC’s audit failures “has been to cover up significant wrongdoing during and after the 2021 Winter Storm.” The brief in the OG&E appeal (p.3) says the utility “unduly (and possibly unlawfully) influenced” the hiring of the OCC’s financial advisor in the bond cases, Hilltop Securities. It also questions how OG&E and PSO’s lender, RBC Capital, was hired to underwrite both bond deals, when RBC’s bid was 25% higher than JP Morgan’s. (Hilltop Securities advised the Oklahoma Development Finance Authority on the bond underwriters’ bidding process.) The OG&E brief (p.35) cites a January 2025 filing by then-Commissioner Anthony alleging that a representative of Hilltop was responsible for “fraudulent language surreptitiously inserted” into the OCC’s bond financing orders. Anthony said that fraudulent language made the bonds hundreds of millions of dollars more expensive for OG&E and PSO customers. The appeal brief says it also makes the OCC’s bond orders void. The state representatives also are challenging the rate increases based on OCC Commissioner Todd Hiett’s participation in the cases, saying he violated utility customers’ due process rights.  “Hiett cast the deciding vote to approve all the rate increases, even though we believe state ethics rules say he should not have participated,” Rick West said. Both OG&E and PSO were represented in the appealed cases by attorneys who hosted a 2023 party where Hiett was publicly accused of alleged sexual harassment and drunk driving. Even though no charges were filed, the state representatives’ brief says Hiett’s behavior has made him subject to improper influence and possible extortion by those attorneys and others.  In May 2025, the Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint against Hiett, citing the so-called “rule of necessity” and finding in this particular instance, state Ethics Rule 4.7’s prohibition against conflicts of interest was not an issue. The Ethics Commission stated at the time that their decision took into account the constitutional requirements for the Corporation Commission, the legislative nature of the rate hikes and Oklahoma case law, including the well-recognized Rule of Necessity. The appeal briefs argue the “rule of necessity” does not apply to conflicted OCC commissioners and asks the Supreme Court to say so. “Fundamentally, these appeals are about upholding the Constitution and the rule of law,” Rick West said. “State ethics rules say if a reasonable person would question Hiett’s impartiality in these cases, he must not participate. But Hiett continues to cast votes approving billions of dollars of increases for these utility companies without performing the required audits. We expect the court to overturn these votes and to order Hiett and the OCC to follow the law.” In addition to the cases against OG&E and PSO, a similar Supreme Court appeal was filed against ONG’s most recent rate increase by Reps. Gann and Kevin West in August. Their brief in that case is not due until April 2026. They also have filed appeals against four OCC orders approving annual fuel purchases for ONG, OG&E and PSO, the fourth filed just Monday.  All told, Gann, Kevin West and Rick West's filed and pending appeals challenge more than $10 billion in utility charges for ONG, OG&E and PSO. The full OG&E appeal Brief in Chief can be read online here: https://oscn.net/dockets/GetDocument.aspx?ct=appellate&bc=1063629594&cn=CU-123021&fmt=pdf OG&E, the OCC and the Attorney General’s Office have 40 days to respond. The progress of all the appeals can be followed on the Oklahoma Supreme Court website: PSO rate case: https://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=122861 OG&E rate case: https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=123021 ONG, PSO & OG&E CY2023 fuel cases: https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=122991 ONG rate case: https://oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=123348 ONG CY2024 fuel case: https://www.oscn.net/dockets/GetCaseInformation.aspx?db=appellate&number=123588

Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, today celebrated a major milestone for rural health care access following the Bristow Hospital Authority's approval of a final lease agreement allowing St. Francis Health System to assume operations of Bristow’s local hospital. This transition brings one of Oklahoma’s largest and most respected health systems directly into the Bristow community, marking a significant expansion of high-quality, accessible medical care for residents across Creek County and the surrounding area. Speaker Hilbert said the decision represents years of local effort and state-level work to support rural health infrastructure. “St. Francis is one of the premier healthcare providers in Oklahoma, and having them in Bristow is a game-changer,” Hilbert said. “This ensures families in our community have reliable, modern care close to home, not 30 or 40 miles away. This is exactly the kind of long-term investment rural Oklahoma deserves.” State Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, echoed Hilbert’s remarks and praised the partnership for its long-term impact on the region. “This partnership with St. Francis is a tremendous win for Bristow and for all of Creek County,” Gollihare said. “Reliable, high-quality health care shouldn’t be something rural families have to drive an hour to find. This investment ensures our communities have the medical access they deserve, and I’m grateful for the leadership that brought us to this point.” The Legislature has helped support the hospital by directing funds through Senate Bill 20XX in 2022, funding a total of $25 million to re-open closed hospitals in rural communities across the state. The Bristow Hospital was among communities selected through a transparent application process Speaker Hilbert championed. Bristow City Mayor Kris Wyatt emphasized the vital partnership with St. Francis. "We all understand how essential a hospital is to Bristow's future," said Wyatt. "It drives economic development, influences whether new industry chooses to come here, and supports the community's overall quality of life. If we want to continue growing and providing the standard of living our residents deserve, Bristow must have a hospital. St. Francis has a strong history of delivering excellent health care, and they are an outstanding partner to help meet that need." This hospital project will support expanded services, improved patient capacity and upgrades to meet modern rural health care demands. St. Francis Hospital leadership expressed gratitude for the state’s investment and praised lawmakers for prioritizing rural medical infrastructure. "Saint Francis is proud to continue its investment in the health and well-being of Bristow and the surrounding community. With the opening of Warren Clinic Bristow in 2023 and now the transition to operate the local hospital, this partnership reinforces our shared vision for exceptional healthcare in rural Oklahoma," said Dr. Cliff Robertson, president and CEO of Saint Francis Health System. "This is another important step in building a lasting relationship between Saint Francis and the people of Bristow—one that will grow and evolve to meet the community's needs for years to come." Yesterday’s action in Bristow comes as St. Francis in Tulsa recently received Trauma I designation , made possible by the partnership with OSU medical center established through the Legislature during the 2025 session. This major development advanced under Speaker Hilbert and Senator Gollihare's leadership. “Healthy communities make for a stronger Oklahoma,” Hilbert said. “Communities across the state are seeing long-overdue progress, and this is just the beginning.”

OKLAHOMA CITY  —  Rep. Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle, has sent a letter to Attorney General Gentner Drummond requesting a formal opinion on whether the Oklahoma Legislative Compensation Board's executive session violated Oklahoma’s Open Meeting Act. “If the executive session was unlawful, the public deserves to know,” Jenkins said. “And if it was permitted under a loophole, then we need to fix that loophole immediately.” Her request follows the recent decision by the board, which met in executive session before approving salary increases for state politicians, including legislators who are among the highest-paid part-time lawmakers in the nation. State law allows boards to meet in executive session, which is a private discussion of salaries of their own employees, but Jenkins says legislators are not employees of the compensation board. “I was heartbroken to hear that the Legislative Compensation Board entered an executive session, which I do not believe is authorized by Oklahoma law, before voting to award these massive raises,” Jenkins said. “This is not transparency, and this is not the Oklahoma way.” According to Jenkins, the circumstances surrounding the meeting “do not pass the smell test.” She noted that the board had twice declined to raise legislative salaries in previous meetings, and then, after members were replaced, the board met behind closed doors and abruptly “changed its mind.” “At a time when Oklahoma taxpayers are struggling under soaring insurance premiums, rising property taxes and higher utility rates, the last thing they should be forced to do is pay more for their politicians, especially under such regrettable and suspicious circumstances,” Jenkins said. Depending on the attorney general’s findings, Jenkins may introduce legislation to ensure a situation like this “can never happen again" in the form of a constitutional amendment. For the 2026 Legislative Session, Jenkins says the amendment she is working on could abolish the Legislative Compensation Board altogether and could freeze legislative salaries at their current level, before the newly approved raises, unless voters themselves approve future increases. “For too long, this board has ensured that Oklahoma’s part-time Legislature remains the highest paid in the region, and one of the highest compensated part-time legislatures in the nation, even as our state trails far behind in so many other metrics,” Jenkins said. “Only the voters should have the final say on legislative compensation, not an unelected board of bureaucrats who never have to face the vote of the people.” The deadline to file bills and joint resolutions is Jan. 15, 2026, and the Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature is set to convene on Feb. 2, 2026. Jenkins has indicated she will also use the upcoming session to formally propose blocking the pay raises for other statewide officeholders, including the governor, attorney general and state superintendent, keeping their salaries at current levels. “Public service should never be about the money; it should be about sacrifice,” she said. “You can never pay a true public servant enough. But you can absolutely overpay a worthless politician.” If the legislative pay raises do take effect, Jenkins announced she will reject the increase and donate the additional money to a House District 33 crisis pregnancy clinic. “These clinics are on the front lines every single day, saving lives and restoring hope to mothers and their babies in their greatest time of need,” Jenkins said. “If this pay raise goes through, the people of House District 33 will see every dollar of it put toward something that truly matters.”