OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The State Legislature is examining the major financial shortfall in the State Department of Mental Health Services.

This is part of the fallout after Governor Kevin Stitt ordered a forensic audit, saying the agency blew its budget by millions and was cancelling contracts with some mental health clinics in Tulsa.

The State Legislature created a special select committee to hold the microscope over the State Department of Mental Health Services.

It was immediately found that they are in the hole by $63 million, on top of those contracts ending, and a request for further funding.

About a dozen state lawmakers questioned the Department of Mental Health Services Commissioner Allie Friesen for hours about the agency’s handling of contracts and funding over the last year.

It’s still unclear where the extra $63 million went, but Friesen said they did not see the full scope of the problem until nearly two months ago.

Title 19 funds saw the majority of the financial shortfall. That money provides medical assistance to low income individuals.

Last week, FOX23 told you CREOKS, GRAND Mental Health and Family & Children’s Services received emails from the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Systems saying their contracts will be terminated and funding will be cut starting May 10.

The commissioner claimed this is not connected to the budget deficiency and the cancellation emails were sent without her knowledge. She cited “miscommunication and misunderstanding” between her agency and the Department of Management and Enterprise.

Now, there’s a scramble to get new contracts processed and signed.

“The RFP that went out yesterday was not in response to the letters, this is something that’s been in the process for quite a while,” said Friesen. “We are working as we speak to confirm the language and bridge contracts to ensure our CCBHC in Tulsa can continue to operate. There will be no cancellation to any contract until the new RFP is awarded.’

An RFP is a Request for Purchase through the Department of Management and Enterprise to work with these companies and contractors to provide those services in the contract.

But after the email last week, there have been cuts made on the belief those contracts were set to expire in less than a month’s time.

This special select committee looking into ODMH is still happening. There has been a very wide range of topics discussed and questioned.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler was questioned recently by lawmakers as well.

Kunzweiler took the stand and spoke strongly against the way this state agency was currently operating and how it has negatively impacted Tulsa County.

The questioning took roughly five hours. Testimonies were also heard from others involved in law enforcement, nonprofits, and city or state leadership.

Kunzweiler told lawmakers about his frustration with people waiting in the county jail on multiple years-long waitlists for a bed at a mental health forensic center. He called them tyrannical for never trying to provide a solution and forcing people who need help to wait in jail.

“It was at that time I realized, ‘Holy smokes! I have Oklahomans in Oklahoma City who experienced the exact same thing as me to what they’re doing, and they’re acting as tyrants.’ Tyranny is not an easy word to throw out there, but when you’re taking advantage of a vulnerable person and you don’t care enough to evacuate them or approach you and say we have a crisis, we need to do whatever we have to do,” said Kunzweiler. “They just let that go and try to run bills to you, behind our backs and try to remove themselves from responsibility. It wasn’t about taking care of the mentally ill, it was about doing the things that they’re enjoying.”

Kunzweiler also pointed out the three Tulsa clinics to receive cancellation emails were the only three to question and challenge the agency on a separate RFP. He believed it was worth questioning if that was retaliatory.

If so, that would be at the expense of those in Tulsa County who need mental health services. It is important to note the current commissioner, Allie Friesen, was appointed by the governor in January. Several of the issues uncovered were before she moved into her current position.