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Oklahoma Senate

From Wikipedia, in a visual modern way
Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma State Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
12 year cumulative total, in either or both chambers
History
New session started
February 4, 2019
Leadership
Matt Pinnell (R)
since January 14, 2019
Greg Treat (R)
since January 8, 2019
Majority Leader
Greg McCortney (R)
since October 27, 2021
Minority Leader
Kay Floyd (D)
since November 16, 2018
Structure
Seats48
Oklahoma Senate 2022.svg
Political groups
Majority
  •   Republican (40)

Minority

Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle V, Oklahoma Constitution
Salary$38,400/year + $153 per diem + $10,000 bonus=($58,804)
Elections
Last election
November 8, 2022
(24 seats)
Next election
November 5, 2024
(24 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
Oklahoma State Senate chamber.jpg
State Senate Chamber
Oklahoma State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Website
Oklahoma State Senate
Politics of Oklahoma
Seal of Oklahoma.svg
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Divisions
Congressional delegation

The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.[1]

Senators approve or reject gubernatorial appointments, and contribute to the creation of both state law and an annual state budget. Every ten years, they aid in drawing new boundaries for Oklahoma's electoral districts. The Oklahoma Senate also serves as a court of impeachment.

The presiding officer of the Senate is the lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, who is the president of the Senate. Since the 1960s, the president pro tempore of the Senate has presided over daily work. Prior to that time, the president of the Senate took a leading role in the Senate, including appointing committees and members to those committees. The president of the Senate may cast a vote only in the instance of a tie vote and may not vote to create a tie.

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Upper house

Upper house

An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted power than the lower house. A legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.

Oklahoma Legislature

Oklahoma Legislature

The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 state representatives, each serving a two-year term, and 48 state senators, who serve four-year terms that are staggered so only half of the Oklahoma Senate districts are eligible in each election cycle. Legislators are elected directly by the people from single member districts of equal population. The Oklahoma Legislature meets annually in the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Oklahoma House of Representatives

The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's budget. The upper house of the Oklahoma Legislature is the Oklahoma Senate.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New Mexico on the west, and Colorado on the northwest. Partially in the western extreme of the Upland South, it is the 20th-most extensive and the 28th-most populous of the 50 United States. Its residents are known as Oklahomans and its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City.

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma

The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the governor. The lieutenant governor also serves as the president of the Oklahoma Senate, and may cast a vote to break ties in that chamber.

President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate

President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate

The President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the Oklahoma Senate and the highest-ranking state senator. The Oklahoma Constitution designates the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma as the highest-ranking official, serving ex officio as President of the Senate, even though the lieutenant governor only votes in the case of a tie. During the lieutenant governor's absence, the president pro tempore presides over sessions. By longstanding custom, the lieutenant governor presides over sessions devoted to ceremonial purposes, while the bulk of the legislative management and political power is reserved for the president pro tempore, who is elected directly by the Oklahoma Senate.

History

Early years

The 1907 Oklahoma Constitution established the Oklahoma Senate alongside the Oklahoma House of Representatives. It met in Guthrie, Oklahoma until 1910.[2] Henry S. Johnston, the author of the initiative and referendum section of the Oklahoma Constitution, served as the first Senate President Pro Tempore.[3]

After women in Oklahoma earned the right to vote in 1918, the Oklahoma Senate gained its first female state senator. Lamar Looney was elected in 1920 over a male incumbent, G. L. Wilson. Looney was a progressive Democrat and served from 1921 to 1929.[4]

1960s through 1980s

The United States Supreme Court "one man, one vote" decision in Baker v. Carr (1962) led to a court order that forced Oklahoma to equalize representation.[5] Before that decision, Oklahoma had 48 senatorial districts that represented either a populous county or several less-populated counties, but did not provide for districts of equal population.

Since 1964, under the holding of Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964) districts must be apportioned within a 5% margin of the average target size district as determined by the U.S. Census state population figures divided by the forty-eight districts. This allows for some districts to be slightly smaller or larger than others. The Oklahoma Senate draws its own maps of its district lines, which are subject to the approval of both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the governor. Should the redistricting not occur in a timely manner, the lines are determined by a panel of five statewide elected officials.

In 1966, voters approved 90-day legislative sessions and, in 1968, they voted to create a Board of Legislative Compensation.[6]

An initiative petition championed by Governor Henry Bellmon in 1989 created a requirement that the legislative sessions end by 5 p.m. on the last Friday in May.[6]

2006 tie

The November 7, 2006 elections resulted in an unprecedented 24–24 tie in the number of seats held by Oklahoma's two major political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.[7] Although the Republican Party added two seats to their prior total,[7] they had lost a seat in July due to Nancy Riley changing in her party affiliation from Republican to Democratic.[8] The Democratic Party did hold the seat of lieutenant governor, who also serves as President of the Senate, giving them a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.[7]

The result was a power-sharing agreement for the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions that split control of the presiding officer position of President Pro Tempore into two Co-President Pro Tempores, one of each party. Officially, a Democratic member held the President Pro Tempore position for 23 months and a Republican member held the position for only one month.[9] Unofficially, decisions were made with the approval of both Co-President Pro Tempores.

By winning two more seats in the 2008 elections, the Republicans assumed control of the Oklahoma Senate for the first time in state history and held a 26–22 majority, thus ending the power sharing arrangement between the parties.

Republican Supermajority 2011 to Present

Since the 53rd Oklahoma Legislature convening in 2011 the Oklahoma Republican Party has held a supermajority of the seats in the senate. The party's dominance peaked in the 56th Oklahoma Legislature following the 2016 Oklahoma Senate Election with the chamber split 42-6. The 57th and 58th Oklahoma legislatures saw slightly smaller super majorities with the chamber split 39-9.

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Oklahoma House of Representatives

Oklahoma House of Representatives

The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's budget. The upper house of the Oklahoma Legislature is the Oklahoma Senate.

Guthrie, Oklahoma

Guthrie, Oklahoma

Guthrie is a city and county seat in Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 10,191 at the 2010 census, a 2.7 percent increase from the figure of 9,925 in the 2000 census.

Henry S. Johnston

Henry S. Johnston

Henry Simpson Johnston was an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention, the first president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, and the seventh governor of Oklahoma. He would become the second governor in Oklahoma history to be impeached and removed from office.

Lamar Looney

Lamar Looney

Mirabeau. Lamar Looney was the first female member of the Oklahoma Senate. Looney was elected to public office as the registrar of deeds for Harmon County in 1912 and later as Harmon County Clerk in 1916 before women received the right to vote. In 1920, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave all women of the United States voting privileges, the same year that Looney ran for and was elected to the Oklahoma Senate. Looney served from 1920 until 1928, representing District 4. In 1926, she considered running for Lieutenant Governor but abandoned the race knowing that the courts would hold to the Oklahoma constitutional requirement that a man hold the office. Looney then decided to run for a spot in the U.S. Senate but lost her bid and returned to her fourth and final term in the Oklahoma Senate. Looney would remain the only woman in the Oklahoma Senate until 1975.

Democratic Party (United States)

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828, it was predominantly built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled politicians in every state behind war hero Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Its main political rival has been the Republican Party since the 1850s, with both parties being big tents of competing and often opposing viewpoints. Modern American liberalism — a variant of social liberalism — is the party's majority ideology. The party also has notable centrist, social democratic, and left-libertarian factions.

Baker v. Carr

Baker v. Carr

Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that redistricting qualifies as a justiciable question under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, thus enabling federal courts to hear Fourteenth Amendment-based redistricting cases. The court summarized its Baker holding in a later decision as follows: "Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment limits the authority of a State Legislature in designing the geographical districts from which representatives are chosen either for the State Legislature or for the Federal House of Representatives.". The court had previously held in Gomillion v. Lightfoot that districting claims over racial discrimination could be brought under the Fifteenth Amendment.

Reynolds v. Sims

Reynolds v. Sims

Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that the electoral districts of state legislative chambers must be roughly equal in population. Along with Baker v. Carr (1962) and Wesberry v. Sanders (1964), it was part of a series of Warren Court cases that applied the principle of "one person, one vote" to U.S. legislative bodies.

Henry Bellmon

Henry Bellmon

Henry Louis Bellmon was an American Republican politician from the U.S. State of Oklahoma. A member of the Oklahoma Legislature, he went on to become both the 18th and 23rd governor of Oklahoma, mainly in the 1960s and again in the 1980s, as well as a two-term United States Senator in the 1970s. He was the first Republican to serve as Governor of Oklahoma and, after his direct predecessor George Nigh, only the second governor to be reelected.

Republican Party (United States)

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. It has been the main political rival of the Democratic Party since the mid-1850s. Like them, the Republican Party is a big tent of competing and often opposing ideologies. Presently, the Republican Party contains prominent conservative, centrist, populist, and right-libertarian factions.

Nancy Riley

Nancy Riley

Nancy C. Riley represented Oklahoma State Senate District 37 which is located in Tulsa County and includes Bixby, Jenks, Lotsee, Tulsa and Sand Springs from 2000 to 2008. Riley grew up in Tulsa and graduated from Edison High School. She attended Oklahoma Christian College for three years, then married and started a family. Riley's first husband died from a brain tumor. During that time, Riley was forced to live on food stamps. She later graduated from Langston University, and began teaching elementary school in the Tulsa Public Schools system.

Powers and process

Legislative sessions

The Senate meets in regular session in east wing of the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City, from early February to the last Friday in May.[6] Special sessions may be called by the governor of Oklahoma, or by supermajority vote of the Legislature. Unlike their counterparts in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, state senators are not restricted on introduction of bills and resolutions.

Advise and consent

The Oklahoma Senate advises and consents to numerous appointments of the Governor, including the entire Governor's Cabinet. Nominations are heard by respective standing committees rather than through a committee on nominations.

Redistricting

Originally, the Oklahoma Constitution based Senate districts on Oklahoma's counties. The 19 most populous counties, as determined by the most recent federal census, were each to elect one senator. The 58 less populous counties were to be joined into 29 two-county districts, each of which was to elect one senator. In apportioning the Senate, the Oklahoma Constitution required that consideration be given to population, compactness, area, political units, historical precedents, economic and political interests, contiguous territory and other major factors, to the extent feasible.

In 1964, the United States Supreme Court ruled this method violated the federal Constitution. Since then, every ten years, the Oklahoma Senate is responsible for passing into law new district boundaries for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Oklahoma Senate and Oklahoma Congressional delegation. The Senate and House have traditionally drawn their own lines without any comment from the other body and work together with the Congressional delegation to draw lines appropriate for the next election. The Governor must sign these bills into law or a statewide panel is convened to draw the disputed lines.

Court of Impeachment

The Oklahoma Senate serves a dual role as both a legislative body and as a judicial court. As the court of impeachment, it is an independent court in the Oklahoma court system. Impeachment charges are brought by the Oklahoma House of Representatives, but heard by the court of impeachment, with Oklahoma's chief justice presiding over the court. If the chief justice or a member of the Oklahoma Supreme Court is charged with impeachment, a state senator can preside over the court of impeachment.

Impeachment charges may only be brought against the governor, other statewide elected state officials and justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court for willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, habitual drunkenness, incompetency, or any offense involving moral turpitude committed while in office. Impeached officials are immediately suspended in discharging their duties. Should the impeachment fail, the official returns to their duties. If the impeachment is successful and the defendant found guilty, the official is removed from office.

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Oklahoma State Capitol

Oklahoma State Capitol

The Oklahoma State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the building that houses the Oklahoma Legislature and executive branch offices. It is located along Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City and contains 452,508 square feet of floor area. The present structure includes a dome completed in 2002.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City, officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and is the 8th largest city in the Southern United States. The population grew following the 2010 census and reached 681,054 in the 2020 census. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area had a population of 1,396,445, and the Oklahoma City–Shawnee Combined Statistical Area had a population of 1,469,124, making it Oklahoma's largest municipality and metropolitan area by population.

Governor of Oklahoma

Governor of Oklahoma

The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the ex officio commander-in-chief of the Oklahoma National Guard when not called into federal use. Despite being an executive branch official, the governor also holds legislative and judicial powers. The governor's responsibilities include making yearly "State of the State" addresses to the Oklahoma Legislature, submitting the annual state budget, ensuring that state laws are enforced, and that the peace is preserved. The governor's term is four years in length.

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Oklahoma House of Representatives

The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's budget. The upper house of the Oklahoma Legislature is the Oklahoma Senate.

Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet

Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet

The Cabinet of the governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the Governor's Cabinet has evolved into an important information link between the governor and the various agencies, boards and commissions that operate within state government.

Impeachment in the United States

Impeachment in the United States

Impeachment in the United States is the process by which a legislature may bring charges against an officeholder for misconduct alleged to have been committed with a penalty of removal. Impeachment may also occur at the state level if the state or commonwealth has provisions for it under its constitution. Impeachment might also occur with tribal governments as well as at the local level of government.

Impeachment trial

Impeachment trial

An impeachment trial is a trial that functions as a component of an impeachment. Several governments utilize impeachment trials as a part of their processes for impeachment, but differ as to when in the impeachment process trials take place and how such trials are held.

Oklahoma Supreme Court

Oklahoma Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

Party composition

Oklahoma Senate districts after the 2020 elections.   Democratic Party   Republican Party
Oklahoma Senate districts after the 2020 elections.
  Democratic Party
  Republican Party
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Republican Democratic Vacant
50th legislature (2004–2006) 22 26 48 0
51st legislature (2006–2008) 24 24 48 0
52nd legislature (2008–2010) 26 22 48 0
53rd legislature (2010–2012) 32 16 48 0
54th legislature (2012–2014) 36 12 48 0
Begin 55th legislature (2014–2016) 40 8 48 0
End 55th legislature 39 9
Begin 56th legislature (2016–2018) 42 6 48 0
End 38 8 46 2
Begin 57th Legislature (2018–2020) 39 9 48 0
Begin 58th Legislature (2021–2022) 38 9 48 1
After 2021 Oklahoma State Senate special election 39 9 48 0
Begin 59th Legislature (2023-2024) 40 8 48 0
Latest voting share 83% 17%

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Oklahoma Republican Party

Oklahoma Republican Party

The Oklahoma Republican Party is the Oklahoma state affiliate of the Republican Party (GOP). Along with the Oklahoma Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties in the state.

Oklahoma Democratic Party

Oklahoma Democratic Party

The Oklahoma Democratic Party is an Oklahoma political party affiliated with the Democratic Party.

50th Oklahoma Legislature

50th Oklahoma Legislature

The Fiftieth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City from January 4, 2005 to January 2, 2007, during the second two years of the first term of Governor Brad Henry. The Democratic Party held the majority of the state senate seats and the Republican Party held the majority of seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The 2005 session was marked by the enactment of the Tax Relief Act of 2005. The 2006 session was marked by the enactment of the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act.

51st Oklahoma Legislature

51st Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-first Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. State legislators met at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City from January 2, 2007 to January 3, 2009, during the first two years of the second term of Governor Brad Henry. A tie in the number of seats held by Republicans and Democrats in the Oklahoma Senate resulted in bipartisan leadership. Republicans held the majority of seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

52nd Oklahoma Legislature

52nd Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-second Oklahoma Legislature was the meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City from January 3, 2009, to January 4, 2011, during the second two years of the second administration of Governor Brad Henry. It was the first session in state history where the Republican Party has controlled both houses of the legislature.

53rd Oklahoma Legislature

53rd Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-third Oklahoma Legislature was the meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. State legislators met at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City from January 4, 2011, to January 8, 2013, during the first two years of the first administration of Governor Mary Fallin.

54th Oklahoma Legislature

54th Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-fourth Oklahoma Legislature was the meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma from January 8, 2013 to January 5, 2015. The first session met from February 4, 2013, to May 24, 2013, in the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City, during the third year of the first administration of Governor Mary Fallin. After the 2012 elections, the Republican Party held more than two-thirds of the seats in the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

55th Oklahoma Legislature

55th Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-fifth Oklahoma Legislature was the 2015 meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, which began with an organizational day on January 6, 2015. The first session met in February 2015 in the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City during the first year of the second administration of Governor Mary Fallin. After the 2014 elections, the Republican Party held more than two-thirds of the seats in the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

56th Oklahoma Legislature

56th Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-sixth Oklahoma Legislature was the most recent meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from January 3, 2017, to January 3, 2019, during the final two years of the second administration of Governor Mary Fallin. The November 2016 elections maintained Republican control of both the House and Senate.

57th Oklahoma Legislature

57th Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-seventh Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from January 3, 2019, to January 3, 2021, during the first two years of the first administration of Governor Kevin Stitt. The November 2018 elections maintained Republican control of both the House and Senate.

58th Oklahoma Legislature

58th Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-eighth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from January 3, 2021, to January 3, 2023, during the second two years of the first administration of Governor Kevin Stitt. The 2020 Oklahoma elections maintained Republican control of both the House and Senate.

Current members

District Name Party Hometown First Elected Seat Up
Lt-Gov Matt Pinnell Rep Oklahoma City 2018 2026
1 Micheal Bergstrom Rep Adair 2016 2024
2 Ally Seifried Rep Claremore 2022 2026
3 Blake Stephens Rep Tahlequah 2020 2024
4 Tom Woods Rep Westville 2022 2026
5 George Burns Rep Pollard 2020 2024
6 David Bullard Rep Durant 2018 2026
7 Warren Hamilton Rep McCurtain 2020 2024
8 Roger Thompson Rep Okemah 2014 2026*
9 Dewayne Pemberton Rep Muskogee 2016 2024
10 Bill Coleman Rep Ponca City 2018 2026
11 Kevin Matthews Dem Tulsa 2015† 2024
12 Todd Gollihare Rep Kellyville 2022 2026
13 Greg McCortney Rep Ada 2016 2024
14 Jerry Alvord Rep Wilson 2022 2026
15 Rob Standridge Rep Norman 2012 2024*
16 Mary B. Boren Dem Norman 2018 2026
17 Shane Jett Rep Tecumseh 2020 2024
18 Jack Stewart Rep Yukon 2022 2026
19 Roland Pederson Rep Burlington 2016 2024
20 Chuck Hall Rep Perry 2018 2026
21 Tom J. Dugger Rep Stillwater 2016 2024
22 Kristen Thompson Rep Edmond 2022 2026
23 Lonnie Paxton Rep Tuttle 2016 2024
24 Darrell Weaver Rep Moore 2018 2026
25 Joe Newhouse Rep Broken Arrow 2016 2024
26 Darcy Jech Rep Kingfisher 2014 2026*
27 Casey Murdock Rep Felt 2018† 2024
28 Grant Green Rep Wellston 2022 2026
29 Julie Daniels Rep Bartlesville 2016 2024
30 Julia Kirt Dem Oklahoma City 2018 2026
31 Chris Kidd Rep Waurika 2016 2024
32 John Montgomery Rep Lawton 2018 2026
33 Nathan Dahm Rep Tulsa 2012 2024*
34 Dana Prieto Rep Tulsa 2022 2026
35 Jo Anna Dossett Dem Tulsa 2020 2024
36 John Haste Rep Broken Arrow 2018 2026
37 Cody Rogers Rep Tulsa 2020 2024
38 Brent Howard Rep Altus 2018 2026
39 David Rader Rep Tulsa 2016 2024
40 Carri Hicks Dem Oklahoma City 2018 2026
41 Adam Pugh Rep Edmond 2016 2024
42 Brenda Stanley Rep Midwest City 2018 2026
43 Jessica Garvin Rep Duncan 2020 2024
44 Michael Brooks-Jimenez Dem Oklahoma City 2017† 2026
45 Paul Rosino Rep Oklahoma City 2017† 2024
46 Kay Floyd Dem Oklahoma City 2014 2026*
47 Greg Treat Rep Oklahoma City 2011† 2024*
48 George E. Young Dem Oklahoma City 2018 2026
† Elected in a special election
* Term Limited

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Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma

The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the governor. The lieutenant governor also serves as the president of the Oklahoma Senate, and may cast a vote to break ties in that chamber.

Matt Pinnell

Matt Pinnell

Philip Matthew Pinnell is an American politician serving as the 17th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, since 2019. Pinnell is also serving as the first Oklahoma Secretary of Tourism & Branding. Pinnell is a member of the Republican Party.

Micheal Bergstrom

Micheal Bergstrom

Micheal Ray Bergstrom is a Republican member of the Oklahoma State Senate, representing the 1st district. He was initially elected in November 2016.

Adair, Oklahoma

Adair, Oklahoma

Adair is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 790 at the 2010 census, compared to the figure of 704 recorded in 2000. Named for two prominent Cherokee brothers, the town was established in 1883. It opened a Cherokee school.

Ally Seifried

Ally Seifried

Ally Seifried is an American politician who is the Oklahoma Senate member from the 2nd district. She is a member of the Cherokee Nation.

Claremore, Oklahoma

Claremore, Oklahoma

Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County in Green Country or northeastern Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,580 at the 2020 census, a 5.4 percent increase over the figure of 18,581 recorded in 2010. Located in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, the town is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and home to Rogers State University. It is best known as the home of early 20th-century entertainer Will Rogers.

Blake Stephens

Blake Stephens

Blake Stephens is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves in the Oklahoma Senate as the elected member from the 3rd district. He was first elected in the 2020 Oklahoma Senate election after defeating incumbent Wayne Shaw in the Republican primary on June 30, 2020 and going on to win the general election on November 3, 2020. His current term expires in 2025.

George Burns (American politician)

George Burns (American politician)

George Burns is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves in the Oklahoma Senate as the elected member from the 5th District which encompasses parts of Atoka, Choctaw, LeFlore, McCurtain, and Pushmataha Counties. He was first elected in the 2020 Oklahoma Senate election after winning the Republican primary on June 30, 2020 and going on to win the general election on November 3, 2020. His current term expires in 2025.

Durant, Oklahoma

Durant, Oklahoma

Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States that serves as the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The population was 18,589 in the 2020 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 46,067 in 2020. The city is the largest in the Choctaw Nation, ranking ahead of McAlester and Poteau. Durant is also part of the Dallas–Fort Worth Combined Statistical Area, anchoring the northern edge.

McCurtain, Oklahoma

McCurtain, Oklahoma

McCurtain is a town in Haskell County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 357 at the 2020 census, a 30.8% decrease over the figure of 516 recorded in 2010. A coal mine disaster in 1912 killed 73 miners and ended McCurtain's prosperity. The mine explosion remains one of the worst disasters in Oklahoma history.

Dewayne Pemberton

Dewayne Pemberton

Dewayne Pemberton is a Republican member of the Oklahoma State Senate, representing the 9th district. He was initially elected in November 2015. He is a retired coach, teacher and education administrator.

Muskogee, Oklahoma

Muskogee, Oklahoma

Muskogee is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately 48 miles (77 km) southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease from 39,223 in 2010.

Membership

See also: President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate and List of current members of the Oklahoma Senate

Terms and qualifications

In order to file for election to the Senate, candidates must be twenty-five years of age at the time of their election.[10] The candidate must also be a qualified elector in their respective counties or districts and shall reside in their respective counties or districts during their term of office.[10] No person is eligible to serve as a member of the Legislature if they are serving as an officer of the United States or State government. Furthermore, any person who has been adjudged guilty of a felony is not eligible to election to the Legislature. If a member of the Senate is expelled for corruption, they are not eligible to return to the Legislature.

The senators are elected to four-year terms on alternating cycles.[1] The odd senatorial districts are elected in the same cycle of every presidential election year (years divisible by four, e.g., 2012, 2016); the even numbered senatorial districts are elected during the gubernatorial election year (even-numbered years not divisible by four, e.g., 2010, 2014).

Senators serve a four-year term and are limited to three terms or 12 years. A term-limited member can not run for election to the House of Representative as both representative terms and senate terms are added together in determining the total number of legislative years in office.[11] When term limits were implemented in 1992, they were not applied retroactively, which meant that senators elected prior to their implementation could serve up to three full terms following the implementation of term limits. For example, the longest-serving member of the Oklahoma State Senate, Gene Stipe was first elected in 1956, but would not have been term limited out until after the 2004 election, had he not resigned the previous year.[12]

Salaries and benefits

The majority of Oklahoma legislators receive $35,000 (reduced in 2018) in annual pay while presiding officers earn a larger salary. (Also, they do not receive any Bonuses.) Additionally, legislators can seek reimbursement for expenses related to meals and lodging during the legislative session, and for certain travel expenses related to their duties at any point during the year. They also have access to benefits received by state employees, including health and life insurance as well as retirement savings plans.

Leadership

Main article: President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate

The Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Oklahoma Senate, but by custom only casts a vote in the case of a tie and presides less frequently since the 1960s. The President Pro Tempore is the one who serves as leader of the Senate, managing legislative votes and is the head of the majority party. The President Pro Tempore appoints the majority floor leader and the chair of the appropriations committee. Along with the elected officers of the majority caucus (caucus chair, caucus vice chair, three assistant majority leaders and four majority whips), they comprise the leadership of the Senate majority caucus. The leader of the minority caucus is called either the Republican Leader or Democratic Leader, depending on which party is in the minority. Along with the elected officers of the minority party (assistant leaders, assistant whips and the caucus chair and vice chair), they comprise the Senate minority leadership team.

Notable past members

Discover more about Membership related topics

List of current members of the Oklahoma Senate

List of current members of the Oklahoma Senate

The Oklahoma Senate is composed of 48 members, each representing an electoral district in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2019, the majority of seats are held by Republicans. The current President Pro Tempore is Greg Treat of Oklahoma City.

Gene Stipe

Gene Stipe

Eugene E. "Gene" Stipe was an American politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate

President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate

The President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the Oklahoma Senate and the highest-ranking state senator. The Oklahoma Constitution designates the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma as the highest-ranking official, serving ex officio as President of the Senate, even though the lieutenant governor only votes in the case of a tie. During the lieutenant governor's absence, the president pro tempore presides over sessions. By longstanding custom, the lieutenant governor presides over sessions devoted to ceremonial purposes, while the bulk of the legislative management and political power is reserved for the president pro tempore, who is elected directly by the Oklahoma Senate.

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma

The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the governor. The lieutenant governor also serves as the president of the Oklahoma Senate, and may cast a vote to break ties in that chamber.

Majority leader

Majority leader

In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.

Todd Lamb (politician)

Todd Lamb (politician)

Todd Lamb is an American politician who served as the 16th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, he was a member of the Oklahoma Senate from 2004 to 2011. For the 52nd Oklahoma Legislature, Lamb's fellow Republican state senators elected him as their Majority Floor Leader. As Majority Leader, Lamb was the second highest ranking state senator, behind then-Senate President pro tempore Glenn Coffee.

Brad Henry

Brad Henry

Charles Bradford Henry is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. The most recent Democrat to hold the office, he previously served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1992 to 2003.

Raymond D. Gary

Raymond D. Gary

Raymond Dancel Gary was an American businessman and politician who served as the 15th governor of Oklahoma from 1955 to 1959 and the first governor to be born in Oklahoma since statehood.

Henry S. Johnston

Henry S. Johnston

Henry Simpson Johnston was an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention, the first president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, and the seventh governor of Oklahoma. He would become the second governor in Oklahoma history to be impeached and removed from office.

James C. Nance

James C. Nance

James Clark "Jim" Nance was a leader for 40 years in the Oklahoma Legislature in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and was community newspaper chain publisher 66 years. Nance served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate. During his legislative career, Nance wrote the "Honest Mistake" law which became a model for other states. Nance then became a key sponsor and Legislative Chairman of the U.S. Uniform Law Commission (ULC), sponsored by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, a non-partisan advisory panel which drafted uniform acts and uniform state commerce laws. Nance became known as a legislative expert in a 40-year legislative career as one of two Oklahomans to hold the top posts in both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature. The state's largest newspaper, The Daily Oklahoman wrote he was the "longest serving Oklahoma Legislator" and "A Legislator's Legislator." Nance, a Democrat, is the only Oklahoma House Speaker elected through a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans. Fiercely Independent, Nance considered public policy work to be a service and did not ever accept a salary or pension for any of his 40 years in the legislature and 24 years on the Uniform Law Commission. Nance refused to work as a lobbyist, although he had many offers after leaving office.

John Jarman

John Jarman

John Henry Jarman II was a member of the US House of Representatives from Oklahoma for 26 years, from 1951 to 1977.

Clem McSpadden

Clem McSpadden

Clem Rogers McSpadden was an American rodeo announcer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District for one full term from 1973 to 1975. Prior to his election to the U.S. House, McSpadden was a member of the Oklahoma Senate between 1954 and 1972. He was the grandnephew of Oklahoma comedian and actor Will Rogers.

Past composition of the Senate

Main article: Political party strength in Oklahoma

Source: "Oklahoma Senate", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 26th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_Senate.

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Further Reading

Vermont General Assembly

California State Senate

North Carolina Senate

Michigan Senate

Mississippi State Senate

Senate of Puerto Rico

House of Representatives of Puerto Rico

Maryland Senate

Connecticut State Senate

Delaware Senate

Alabama Senate

Oklahoma Legislature

Washington State Senate

Indiana Senate

Oklahoma House of Representatives

List of speakers of the Oklahoma House of Representatives

President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate

Louisiana State Senate
See also
References
  1. ^ a b Section V-9A: Senatorial districts - Tenure, Constitution of the State of Oklahoma at Oklahoma Public Legal Research System (accessed August 1, 2018)
  2. ^ Farmer, Rick. "Legislature," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/L/LE010.html Archived 2015-01-17 at the Wayback Machine (accessed April 16, 2013)
  3. ^ Burke, Bob. Johnston, Henry Simpson Archived 2013-10-05 at the Wayback Machine Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 9, 2013)
  4. ^ Pappas, Christine. Looney, Lamar (1871-1935), Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 9, 2013)
  5. ^ Agnew, Brad. Twentieth-Century Oklahoma, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 10, 2013)
  6. ^ a b c A Century to Remember Archived 2012-09-10 at the Wayback Machine, Ok.gov (accessed April 30, 2013)
  7. ^ a b c Krehbiel, Randy. GOP victories create a tie in state Senate, Tulsa World, November 8, 2006 (accessed May 14, 2013)
  8. ^ Hoberock, Barbara and Mick Hinton. "Senator bolts abhorrent GOP", Tulsa World (accessed May 14, 2013)
  9. ^ Hoberock, Barbara. "Senate's power-sharing accord carries a cost", Tulsa World, July 12, 2007 (accessed May 14, 2013)
  10. ^ a b Section V-17: Qualified electors, Constitution of the State of Oklahoma at Oklahoma Public Legal Research System (accessed May 3, 2010)
  11. ^ Section V-17A: Limitation of time served in the Legislature, Oklahoma Constitution Online (accessed May 23, 2013)
  12. ^ Continuing Coverage of Gene Stipe (NewsOK.com) Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
External links

Coordinates: 35°29′32″N 97°30′12″W / 35.49222°N 97.50333°W / 35.49222; -97.50333

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