Oklahoma Senate Democratic Leader Kay Floyd pushed back this week on claims of obstruction from the governor’s office over some of his executive nominations.
Senators typically sponsor nominees from their districts, but Sen. Carri Hicks from Oklahoma City declined to carry two nominations to the State Board of Education. Hicks also joined two other Democrats voting against a third in a committee hearing.
Floyd said claims Democrats are focused on politics are wrong.
"We have voted over 90% — and after this week, that number’s higher — but over 90% of the governor’s executive nominations, we’ve voted yes on." Floyd said.
Hicks has said interviews with nominees Estela Hernandez and Jennifer Monies showed her they are OK with overriding local school board decisions, while she is not.
"Sen. Hicks personally has carried 13 of the governor’s executive nominations. This was based purely on her interviews — extensive interviews — with both of these nominees and just believing that there was a basic philosophical difference in the direction education needs to take," Floyd said.
Hicks' refusal to carry the nominations didn’t torpedo them.
"There was never any question that these nominees couldn’t continue on. It was just who was going to carry them, and Sen. Hicks was not that person. Sen. Treat’s going to carry them. They will proceed on. So, the system worked the way it’s supposed to work," Floyd said.
In a statement last week, Gov. Kevin Stitt's spokeswoman, Donnelle Harder, said Democrats are focusing on politics and "refuse to give a clear and articulate reason for their obstruction." Stitt echoed that statement in a news conference Thursday.
