Jon Echols
Majority Floor Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
Assumed office
January 2017
Preceded byMike Sanders
Assistant Majority Whip of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
In office
January 2013 – January 2015
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
from the 90th district
Assumed office
November 14, 2012
Preceded byCharles Key
Personal details
Born (1979-12-03) December 3, 1979
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Oklahoma (BA)
Oklahoma City University (JD)

Jon Echols (born December 3, 1979) is an American politician who has served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 90th district since 2012.[1][2] He is the Majority Floor Leader.[3]

Oklahoma House of Representatives

In 2016, Echols asked Sheriff Regalado's Office to make a change to a "key standard to bid on a lucrative jail medical contract" so that his company could bid. "Echols and two of his business partners at Turn Key Health Clinics, based in Oklahoma City, each contributed $1,000 to Regalado’s campaign for sheriff in April.[4] Turn Key Health Clinics was founded by Representative Jon Echols.[5] He is the co-founder and president. Turn Key Health contracts for "medial services in the Oklahoma County Jail." The Oklahoma County Jail has made headlines for its series of deaths.[6][7][8][9] Turn Key Health has been "the target of lawsuits in at least three states where patients have died under the care of its medical staff. A former Turn Key nurse told Oklahoma Watch that inadequate staffing left patients with substandard care."[10] Echols has said that "he works for the company’s CEO mostly outside of Oklahoma to minimize perceived conflicts of interest."[11]

In 2023, Echols was the House author on Senate Bill 840 (co-authored by Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada), a bill that "deals with name, image, likeness — the new endorsements phenomenon known as NIL." Echols marked it as "high-priority."[12] The bill would allow "for colleges and universities to back opportunities for NIL; allows schools to set parameters to prevent NIL activities from interfering with school or team activities; allows schools to be compensated for use of logos or facilities; prohibits students from securing NIL compensation using a school logo; allows schools to require that athletes take financial literacy and contract courses; doesn’t require that athlete compensation be in line with market value; and does not count scholarships as compensation." Some "lawmakers who opposed the measure lamented the apparent end of the amateur student athlete and the beginning of an era in college sports that allows 17-year-olds to enter into multimillion-dollar endorsement deals."[13][14]

In mid-April 2023, Echols steered SB 519 through committee. It "would give charter schools right of first refusal for leasing Commissioners of the Land Office property." During the committee vote, as Speaker Pro Tem Kyle Hilbert of Bristow, "had to be tracked down to break a 5-5 tie and keep the bill moving."[15]

In October 2023, Echols voiced support for Israel in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, saying that Israel is in its rights to "wipe" Hamas out, but pointed out that Hamas is "not our Muslim brothers and sisters."[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Oklahoma County legislative incumbents unchallenged". Oklahoman.com. 2012-04-12. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
  2. ↑ "Representative Jon Echols". Okhouse.gov. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
  3. ↑ OK House. "Representative Jon Echols".
  4. ↑ "Sheriff changed bid requirement after meeting with lawmaker seeking contract". The Frontier. 2016.
  5. ↑ "Half million dollar proposal seeks more health professionals at Cleveland County jail". Fox25. 2023.
  6. ↑ Dickerson, Brett (2023-04-21). "Another Oklahoma County Jail death added to growing list". Oklahoma City Free Press. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  7. ↑ Foster, Miranda Vondale (2023-04-21). "Oklahoma County Jail: 37-year-old inmate dies after being found unresponsive in cell". KOKH. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  8. ↑ Greco, Jonathan (2023-04-21). "Oklahoma County Detention Center inmate dies after being found unresponsive in cell". KOCO. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  9. ↑ Bryen, Whitney (2023-02-22). "Oklahoma sheriff, jail health care provider seek public money to increase staff after two women died". KOSU. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  10. ↑ Bryen, Whitney (2023-02-24). "Sheriff, jail health care provider seek more funding in wake of deaths | The Journal Record". Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  11. ↑ Bryen, Whitney (2023-02-22). "Oklahoma sheriff, jail health care provider seek public money to increase staff after two women died". KOSU. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  12. ↑ "College athletes' name, image, likeness bill is first Senate measure passed by Oklahoma House". Tulsa World. 4 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "Lawmakers pursue bill to allow name, image, likeness rights for Oklahoma student athletes". Stillwater News Press.
  14. ↑ "Lawmakers pursue bill to allow NIL rights for student athletes". Enid News & Eagle. 2023.
  15. ↑ World, Randy Krehbiel Tulsa. "Senate education bills kept alive in Oklahoma House committee votes". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  16. ↑ Griffin, David. "Your Vote Counts: Domestic Violence". www.newson6.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.


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