OKLAHOMA CITY (May 5, 2025) – In the wake of legislative testimony earlier today by Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Services Allie Friesen, Attorney General Gentner Drummond renewed his call for Gov. Kevin Stitt to remove Commissioner Friesen.
“Commissioner Friesen offered no satisfactory answers for the agency’s ability or inability to meet payroll obligations. The commissioner is simply not equipped for the job – and she never was,” Drummond said. “Gov. Stitt hired a counselor who doesn’t have a license to run our Mental Health Department, nor does she have the leadership experience. Is it any wonder the department is in financial meltdown?”
Drummond said that vulnerable Oklahomans will suffer the consequences until there is new leadership at the agency.
“Oklahomans who are suffering from mental health challenges and substance abuse are the ones who stand to lose the most while this fiasco continues to play out,” Drummond said. “The buck stops with the commissioner and the governor. It is past time for Gov. Stitt to take action and correct course.”
