STATE OF OKLAHOMA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 11, 2013

Rep. Richard Morrissette, District 92
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
State Capitol – Room 543
Contact: Jacklyn Brink-Rosen
(405) 557-7404

Governor Fallin Authorizes Spending ½ Million on Partisan Contracts
For One of Her Old Friends

(Oklahoma City, OK) Governor Mary Fallin placed a directive to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to have that agency spend one-half million dollars on a contract to study options on how to provide health care for those without health insurance.

“Did I miss the memo?” queried state Rep. Richard Morrissette (D-OKC)

“After originally accepting federal money, last year, Governor Fallin flip-flopped and turned back $54 million dollars from the federal government – $ to Oklahoma for Oklahomans – to set up our own health care exchange…now, through her directive, the OHCA board unanimously approved this one-half million dollar private contract to spend money we don’t have to pay for a private contract given to an out of state company known as Leavitt Partners, owned by the family of ex- Gov. Mike Leavitt, Republican of Utah.”

“Let’s see, h-m-m. Does political cronyism play into any of this? The OHCA has the requisite staff and expertise to evaluate the situation. That’s what they do! But, no-o-o…the party of ‘less government spending’ and the party of ‘let’s keep the government out of our lives’ would rather spend Oklahoma tax payer’s monies to privatize functions we already pay for. So, what we are doing is giving our hard earned tax payer monies to political crony friends. And, to beat all, they’re not even Oklahoma cronies!

“Earlier in the week, Governor Fallin was in Washington begging the federal government not to be hard on states because of the fiscal crisis. So, with one side of our mouth, we bash the federal government about the excesses, yet, with the other side, we ask for money…this is called hypocrisy!” concluded Morrissette.

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