Governor Kevin Stitt called on Oklahoma's Pro Tem Greg Treat to declare a State of Emergency for 10 Oklahoma counties Tuesday.
Treat signed the declaration shortly before that call. As of Thursday afternoon Treat said he has yet to hear directly from Stitt.
Sen. Treat has still not spoken to Governor Stitt. The only communication has been between Treat's Chief of Staff and Stitt's Chief of Staff. Stitt's chief did not know when he was coming back. Treat's office will let me know if that changes.
— Erin Christy (@Erin_Christy) June 22, 2023
Treat had been in contact with Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum prior to that and on Wednesday traveled to Tulsa to tour the hardest hit areas.
Treat told 2 News he didn’t know he was acting governor until 1 p.m. Tuesday when he was asked to sign the Executive Order requesting a state of emergency. “My Chief of Staff said the governor’s office reached out to him and said that I was acting governor,” said Treat.
Senator Treat said it is not surprising. While Stitt used to notify him about when he would be out of town, “something changed” in the last year and, now, often doesn’t know until Stitt returns.
“I think best practice is to let us know when we are going to be governor that’s always the courtesy afforded heretofore,” said Treat.
Treat said he signed the order within an hour of reviewing it. He grew up in Tulsa and had been in contact with his personal friend, Bynum. He said he doesn’t know why the state of emergency took days to request.
“I got back from a family reunion on Sunday and when I saw the devastation, I was surprised one hadn’t been declared yet,” he said.
The State of Emergency would cover Creek, Delaware, Harper, Mayes, Pawnee, Payne, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner, and Choctaw counties as a result of the storms that hit Green Country Saturday.
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“My heart goes out to the Oklahomans impacted by last weekend’s severe weather, and the many people still overcoming the aftermath of those storms,” said Governor Stitt. “The State, including the Oklahoma Department Emergency Management and Homeland Security continues to be responsive through emergency declarations, waivers, and requests to impacted areas to restore power, protect critical infrastructure and to get Oklahomans the resources they need during these trying times. I am thankful for our emergency response teams and power crews who are working tirelessly to restore utilities in the affected areas.”
Executive Order 2023-18 establishes the State of Emergency for 30 days.
A State of Emergency has been declared in the Oklahoma counties hit hardest by the recent storms.
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) June 20, 2023
The state is working around the clock to get Oklahomans the resources they need during the ongoing recovery efforts.
Oklahoma, more help is on the way!https://t.co/XFnwsZwKaS
According to the Oklahoma Constitution, when both the governor and lieutenant governor are out of state, the power then falls to the Senate President Pro Tempore.
Pro Tem Treat said he acted immediately upon being informed he was acting governor.
“I personally witnessed the damage and devastation of the storms as I drove back to Oklahoma City from Catoosa yesterday,” Pro Tem Treat said. “It was clear that people in eastern Oklahoma are struggling and need all the support the state can give them during this time. Impacted Oklahomans are still without power and heat indexes are exceeding triple digits. This action will relax laws and regulations on the shipping of goods for emergency use, allow agencies to have more purchasing powers, among other measures in order to bring much needed relief. It also automatically triggers the state’s price gouging statute that way Oklahomans aren’t being taken advantage of by individuals who are trying to charge more than necessary for goods and services. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with our neighbors as they continue to recover after this storm.”
“This State of Emergency will be key in the coming days as we continue to work with our emergency management partners across the state and at FEMA to identify damages in the impacted areas and determine whether aid may be available to assist communities,” said ODEMHS Director Mark Gower. “We’re grateful to all the responders, power crews, emergency managers, voluntary agencies, and others who have stepped up yet again to help Oklahomans.”
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