“Sham”: Oklahoma Attorney General calls out Contingency Review Board meeting 

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Governor Kevin Stitt and members of the Contingency Review Board met on Wednesday at the State Capitol to discuss a settlement for a federal lawsuit against the state.

The lawsuit accuses the state of not providing required mental health services for inmates held inside county jails across Oklahoma. The suit was filed in 2023 on behalf of four inmates who waited months, some more than one year, inside jail for mental health evaluations.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond and lawyers for the inmates agreed on a settlement in June. It involved several stipulations like deadlines for court ordered evaluations, a screening program, and additional staff training for the Department of Menal Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS).

Governor Kevin Stitt discussed the settlement during a Contingency Review Board meeting on Wednesday. Drummond was asked to attend the meeting but did not show up. KFOR spoke with Drummond’s staff on Wednesday morning who stated he had schedule conflicts.

The Commissioner of ODMHSAS, Allie Friesen, also attended the meeting.

"The settlement is only adding to the bottleneck that we're working against," said Friesen.

She said the settlement would negatively impact progress already being made and it would also cost taxpayers millions.

“As it stands it would cost $96 million over five years,” said Friesen.

Stitt questioned Friesen for several minutes about how the settlement would impact her department as well as fellow Oklahomans.

“We need to make sure this is a good deal for all four million Oklahomans,” said Stitt.

On Wednesday, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond's Office responded to Governor Kevin Stitt's scheduled meeting set to potentially reject a brokered deal with the Contingency Review Board (CRB).

Drummond shared strong words addressing the CRB board meeting calling it a sham and likely to reject a class-action lawsuit settlement that would save millions for Oklahoma tax payers.

According to the AG's office, the brokered decree in place seeks to ensure due process awaits a federal judge's signature that will restore and improve ODMHSAS.

“Because of ODMHSAS’ outrageous failure, crime victims and their families have waited in agony for their cases to be resolved. The Governor’s refusal to resolve this lawsuit with a reasonable, wholly appropriate and inevitable plan of action does a disservice to victims of crime and to the taxpayers of Oklahoma.”

Attorney Gentner Drummond

Governor Stitt's office said the meeting will continue to consider whether to approve the plan with CRB members House Speaker McCall, Senate President Pro Tempore Treat and OMES Executive Director Katie DeMurth.

“The Governor appears bound and determined to force Oklahomans to ultimately pay untold millions of dollars and ignore a years-long failure of the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Rather than seizing an opportunity to deliver justice and save taxpayer dollars, Gov. Stitt would rather stage political theater. This is disappointing, if not entirely surprising,”

Attorney Gentner Drummond