OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, will file legislation in the next legislative session to keep the Oklahoma Public Health Laboratory in Oklahoma City, he said Monday.
Gov. Kevin Stitt recently announced plans to move the Public Health Laboratory to Stillwater by the end of the year, Martinez said in a news release. State health officials said they would use $25 million in state funds, along with federal coronavirus dollars, to move the laboratory into temporary leased space in Stillwater.
The Oklahoma Public Health Laboratory provides essential services for state and county health departments and Oklahoma State Department of Health programs, and it works with private health providers that are consistent with the goals of the Oklahoma State Board of Health.