Fallin Appoints Attorney to Fill out Murdered Labor Commissioner's Term

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has appointed the chief of staff for state Attorney General Scott Pruitt as labor commissioner, replacing Mark Costello, who was murdered in August. Melissa McLawhorn Houston will serve the remainder of Costello's term, which expires in January 2019. Costello was re-elected to his post in 2014, but he was killed in a stabbing at an Oklahoma City restaurant on Aug. 24. His son, Christian Costello, has been charged with the crime. Fallin said Houston is an experienced administrator with extensive knowledge of state government. Before serving as Pruitt's ch...