Oklahoma Senate

Oklahoma Senate
Type
Type	Upper house of Oklahoma Legislature
Leadership
President of the Senate	Jari Askins, D since January 2, 2007
President Pro Tempore	Glenn Coffee (R) since November 6, 2008
Structure
Members	48
Meeting place
Oklahoma State Capitol
Web site
http://www.oksenate.gov/

The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the lower house being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution. The Senators are elected to four year terms on alternating cycles. The odd Senatorial districts are elected in the same cycle of every Presidential election year. The even numbered Senatorial districts are elected during the Gubernatorial election year, which occurs the second year after the Presidential election.

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 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.

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. Special sessions may be called by the Governor of Oklahoma, or by supermajority vote of the Legislature.

Qualifications

Oklahoma

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Oklahoma

Constitution United States Constitution Oklahoma Constitution Executive Government Governor: Brad Henry Lieutentant Governor: Jari Askins Secretary of State: M. Susan Savage State Auditor: Steve Burrage Attorney General: Drew Edmondson State Treasurer: Scott Meacham State School Superintendent: Sandy Garrett Labor Commissioner: Lloyd Fields Insurance Commissioner: Kim Holland Corporation Commission State Cabinet and State Agencies Legislature Legislature: 52nd Senate President of the Senate: Jari Askins President pro tempore: Glenn Coffee House of Representatives Speaker of the House: Chris Benge Judiciary Court System Supreme Court Court of Criminal Appeals Court of Civil Appeals Court on the Judiciary Court of Impeachment Nominating Commission Elections Elections State Election Board Last election Political parties Democratic Party Republican Party Political party strength Divisions Counties Cities and Towns Federal Relations Federal representation Senate Jim Inhofe (R) Tom Coburn (R) House of Representatives 1: John Sullivan (R) 2: Dan Boren (D) 3: Frank Lucas (R) 4: Tom Cole (R) 5: Mary Fallin (R) Politics of the United States

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In order to file for election to the Senate, candidates must be twenty-five years of age at the time of their election. 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. No person is eligible to serve as a member of the Legislature if they're an officer of the United States or State government. Also, any person who has been adjudged guilty of a felony is not eligible to election to the Legislature. If a member of the Legislature is expelled for corruption, they shall not be eligible to return to the Legislature.

No member of the legislature can serve more than 12 years in the Oklahoma State Legislature. Years in Legislative office need not be consecutive and years of service in both the Senate and the House of Representatives shall be added together and included in determining the total number of Legislative years in office. The years served by any member elected or appointed to serve less than a full Legislative term to fill a vacancy in office shall not be included in the 12-year limitation; but no member who has completed 12 years in office shall thereafter be eligible to serve a partial term. 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 elected in 1956, but would not have been term limited out until 2004, had he not resigned the previous year.

Membership

Representation

Old Method

Prior to a "one man, one vote" decisions of the United States Supreme Court in the 1960s and the court order which forced Oklahoma to equalize representation, Oklahoma was apportioned into forty-eight senatorial districts in the following manner: the nineteen most populous counties, as determined by the most recent Federal Decennial Census, were to constitute nineteen senatorial districts with one senator to be nominated and elected from each district. The fifty-eight less populous counties were to be joined into twenty-nine two-county districts with one senator to be nominated and elected from each of the two-county districts. 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.

New Method

Currently, under the holding of Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964) all districts must be apportioned within a five percent margin of the average target size district as determined by the U.S. Census population figures divided by the forty-eight districts. This allows for some districts to be slightly smaller or larger than others. The Senate draws its own maps of its district lines, which are subject to the approval of both the 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.

Historic Tie

In the November 7, 2006 elections, neither party had outright control of the Oklahoma State Senate. Although the Republican party added two seats to their prior total, a party switch resulted in an unprecedented and historic 24-24 tie. With neither party currently holding a majority, Democratic and Republican leaders negotiated a power-sharing agreement for the 2007-08 session. Instead of electing the traditional one leader, the Senate unanimously elected Co-Presidents Pro Tempore to serve as equal leaders of the Senate. Neither could make a decision or political appointment on behalf of the Senate without the other's assent. However, because the Oklahoma Constitution does not provide for two Presidents Pro Tempore, the two sides agreed to divide the time between them. Since the Democrats have the tie breaking vote of Lt. Governor Jari Askins, they were awarded the position of President Pro Tempore for twenty-three months of the legislature and the Republicans were awarded the position for only one month (July 2007) in recognition of them actually electing a majority of the membership.^[1] By winning two more seats in the 2008 elections, the Republicans assumed control of the Chamber for the first time in state history and hold a 26-22 majority, thus ending the power sharing arrangement between the parties.

Composition

Leadership

• President of the Senate (by virtue of being Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma): Jari Askins

Republican Leadership, 2008-09

• President Pro Tempore: Glenn Coffee
• Majority Floor Leader: Todd Lamb
• Assistant Majority Floor Leaders: Mike Mazzei, Clark Jolley, Brian Bingman
• Majority Whips: Cliff Branan, Mike Schulz, Anthony Sykes
• Majority Caucus Chairman: John Ford

Democratic Leadership, 2008-09

• Minority Floor Leader: Charlie Laster
• Assistant Minority Floor Leaders – Tom Adelson, Sean Burrage, Jay Paul Gumm, Tom Ivester and Richard Lerblance
• Minority Whips – Roger Ballenger, Debbe Leftwich, Susan Paddack and Charles Wyrick
• Democratic Caucus Chair: Kenneth Corn
• Democratic Caucus Vice-Chair – Judy Eason McIntyre

Members

Oklahoma Senate Chamber

Committees

On November 24, 2008, President Pro Tempore Designate Glenn Coffee named Committee Chairs for the 2008-09 Session. On December 4, 2008, Coffee named the Vice Chairs and on Dec. 18, 2008, assigned members to all committees:

• Appropriations Committee: Sen. Mike Johnson (R-Kingfisher), Chair, and Sen. David Myers (R-Ponca City), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Patrick Anderson (R-Enid), Sen. Randy Bass (D-Lawton), Sen. Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa), Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso), Sen. Brian Crain (R-Tulsa), Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield (D-Ardmore), Sen. Kenneth Corn (D-Poteau), Sen. John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Sen. Mary Easley (D-Tulsa), Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D-Durant), Sen. Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater), Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha), Sen. Charlie Laster (D-Shawnee), Sen. Debbe Leftwich (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. Richard Lerblance (D-McAlester), Sen. Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa), Sen. Susan Paddack (D-Ada), Sen. Jim Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. Gary Stanislawski (R-Tulsa), Sen. Anthony Sykes (R-Moore) and Sen. Jim Wilson (D-Tahlequah)
• -- Appropriations Subcommittee on Education: Sen. Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater), Chair, and Sen. John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Cliff Aldridge (R-Choctaw), Sen. Cliff Branan (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. Clark Jolley (R-Edmond), Sen. Bill Brown (R-Broken Arrow), Sen. Harry Coates (R-Seminole), Sen. Judy Eason-McIntyre (D-Tulsa), Sen. Jerry Ellis (D-Hugo), Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D-Durant), Sen. Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa) and Sen. Susan Paddack (D-Ada)
• -- Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services: Sen. Brian Crain (R-Tulsa), Chair, and Sen. Patrick Anderson (R-Enid), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Sean Burrage (D-Claremore), Sen. Gary Stanislawski (R-Tulsa) and Sen. Jim Wilson (D-Tahlequah)
• -- Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services: Sen. David Myers (R-Ponca City), Chair; Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Roger Ballenger (D-Okmulgee), Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield (D-Ardmore) and Sen. Steve Russell (R-Oklahoma City)
• -- Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation: Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso), Chair; Sen. Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Mary Easley (D), Sen. Tom Ivester (D-Elk City), Sen. Constance Johnson (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. Bryce Marlatt (R-Woodward), Sen. Dan Newberry (R-Tulsa), Sen. Mike Schultz (R-Altus) and Sen. Joe Sweeden (D-Pawhuska)
• -- Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety: Sen. Anthony Sykes (R-Moore), Chair; and Jim Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Don Barrington (R-Lawton), Sen. Jonathan Nichols (R-Norman), Sen. Randy Bass (D-Lawton), Sen. Charlie Laster (D-Shawnee) and Sen. Richard Lerblance (D-McAlester)
• Agriculture and Rural Development Committee: Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha), Chair, and Sen. Mike Schulz (R-Altus), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Patrick Anderson (R-Enid), Sen. Don Barrington (R-Lawton), Sen. Bryce Marlatt (R-Woodward), Sen. Anthony Sykes (R-Moore), Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield (D-Ardmore), Sen. Jerry Ellis (D-Hugo), Sen. Earl Garrison, Sen. Tom Ivester (D-Elk City) and Sen. Charles Wyrick (D-Fairland)
• Business and Labor Committee: Sen. Harry Coates (R-Seminole), Chair, and Sen. Dan Newberry (R-Tulsa), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso), Sen. David Myers (R-Ponca City), Sen. Steve Russell (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. Tom Adelson (D-Tulsa), Sen. Sean Burrage (D-Claremore), Sen. Debbe Leftwich (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. Andrew Rice (D-Oklahoma City)
• Education Committee: Sen. John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Chair; Sen. Clark Jolley (R-Edmond), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Cliff Branan (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. Bill Brown (R-Broken Arrow), Sen. Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater), Sen. Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa), Sen. Jim Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. Gary Stanislawski (R-Tulsa), Sen. Kenneth Corn (D-Poteau), Sen. Mary Easley (D-Tulsa), Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D-Durant), Sen. Richard Lerblance, Sen. Judy Eason-McIntyre (D-Tulsa), Sen. Susan Paddack (D-Ada) and Sen. John Sparks (D-Norman)
• Energy and Environment Committee: Sen. Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa), Chair, and Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Cliff Branan (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. Harry Coates (R-Seminole), Sen. Mike Johnson (R-Kingfisher), Sen. David Myers (R-Ponca City), Sen. Jonathan Nichols (R-Norman), Sen. Anthony Sykes (R-Moore), Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield (D-Ardmore), Sen. Mary Easley (D-Tulsa), Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D-Durant), Sen. Tom Ivester (D-Elk City) and Sen. Andrew Rice (D-Oklahoma City)
• Finance Committee: Sen. Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa), Chair, and Sen. Gary Stanislawski (R-Tulsa), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Tom Adelson (D-Tulsa), Sen. Cliff Aldridge (R-Choctaw), Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield (D-Ardmore), Sen. John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Sen. Jay Paul Gumm (D-Durant), Sen. Tom Ivester (D-Elk City), Sen. Mike Johnson (R-Kingfisher), Sen. Clark Jolley (R-Edmond), Sen. Jonathan Nichols, Sen. Jim Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. Andrew Rice (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. John Sparks (D-Norman) and Sen. Jim Wilson (D-Tahlequah)
• General Government Committee: Sen. Cliff Aldridge (R-Choctaw), Chair, and Sen. Roger Ballenger (D-Okmulgee), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Randy Bass (D-Lawton), Sen. Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa), Sen. Brian Crain (R-Tulsa), Sen. Mike Johnson (R-Kingfisher), Sen. Jonathan Nichols (R-Norman), Sen. Constance Johnson (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. Joe Sweeden (D-Pawhuska) and Sen. Jim Wilson (D-Tahlequah)
• Health and Human Resources Committee: Sen. Clark Jolley (R-Edmond), Chair, and Sen. Sean Burrage (D-Claremore), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Brian Crain (R-Tulsa), Sen. Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater), Sen. Dan Newberry (R-Tulsa), Sen. Tom Adelson (D-Tulsa), Sen. Constance Johnson (D-Oklahoma City) and Sen. Jim Wilson (D-Tahlequah)
• Judiciary Committee: Sen. Patrick Anderson (R-Enid), Chair; Sen. Susan Paddack (D-Ada), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Brian Crain (R-Tulsa), Sen. Dan Newberry (R-Tulsa), Sen. Anthony Sykes (R-Moore), Sen. Kenneth Corn (D-Poteau) and Sen. Charlie Laster (D-Shawnee)
• Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee: Sen. Don Barrington (R-Lawton), Chair, and Sen. Steve Russell (R-Oklahoma City), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater), Sen. Roger Ballenger (D-Okmulgee), Sen. Mary Easley (D-Tulsa) and Sen. Jerry Ellis (D-Hugo)
• Retirement and Insurance Committee: Sen. Bill Brown (R-Broken Arrow), Chair, and Sen. Cliff Aldridge (R-Choctaw), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa) and Sen. Steve Russell (R-Oklahoma City)
• Rules Committee: Sen. Jonathan Nichols (R-Norman), Chair, and Sen. Earl Garrison (D-Muskogee), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa), Sen. Cliff Branan (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Sen. Mike Johnson (R-Kingfisher), Sen. Todd Lamb (R-Edmond), Sen. Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa)
• Tourism and Wildlife Committee: Sen. Mike Schulz (R-Altus), Chair, and Sen. Jerry Ellis (D-Hugo), Vice Chair; Members: Sen. Patrick Anderson (R-Enid), Sen. Don Barrington (R-Lawton), Sen. John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha), Sen. Bryce Marlatt (R-Woodward), Sen. Jim Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City), Sen. Judy Eason-McIntyre (D-Tulsa), Sen. Earl Garrison (D-Muskogee), Sen. Susan Paddack (R-Ada), Sen. Joe Sweeden (D-Pawhuska) and Sen. Charlie Wyrick (D-Fairland)
• Transportation Committee: Sen. Cliff Branan (R-Nichols Hills), Chair, and Sen. Bryce Marlatt (R-Woodward), Vice Chair Members: Sen. Randy Bass (D-Lawton), Sen. Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa), Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso), Sen. Bill Brown (R-Broken Arrow), Sen. Sean Burrage (D-Claremore), Sen. Harry Coates (R-Seminole), Sen. Ron Justice (R-Chickasha), Sen. David Myers, Sen. Judy Eason-McIntyre (D-Tulsa), Sen. Debbe Leftwich (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. Earl Garrison (D-Muskogee), Sen. Constance Johnson (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. Mike Schulz (R-Altus), Sen. Joe Sweeden (D-Pawhuska) and Sen. Charlie Wyrick (D-Fairland)
• Veterans and Military Affairs Committee: Sen. Jim Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City), Chair, and Sen. Don Barrington (R-Lawton), Vice Chair Members: Sen. Cliff Aldridge (R-Choctaw), Sen. Randy Bass (D-Lawton), Sen. Sean Burrage (D-Claremore), Sen. Tom Ivester (D-Elk City), Sen. Constance Johnson (D-Oklahoma City), Sen. Mike Schulz (R-Altus) and Sen. Steve Russell (R-Oklahoma City)

Court of Impeachment

The Senate serves a dual role as both a legislative body and as a judicial court. In performing is role as the Court of Impeachment, the Senate serves as an independent court in the Oklahoma court system. Impeachment charges are brought by the House of Representatives, and they are heard by the Senate, with the Chief Justice of Oklahoma presiding, unless the Chief Justice or any member of the Oklahoma Supreme Court is charged, in which case the Senate shall select one of its own members to preside.

Impeachment charges may only be brought against the Governor and all other statewide elected state officials (including the Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices) for willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, habitual drunkenness, incompetency, or any offense involving moral turpitude committed while in office. If impeached, all officials are immediately suspended in discharging their duties. Should the impeachment fail, the officer in question returns to their duties. However, if the impeachment is successful and the defendant found guilty, the person is removed from office.

References

See also

• Oklahoma Legislature
• Oklahoma House of Representatives

External links

• Oklahoma Senate
• Oklahoma Senate Democrats
• Oklahoma Senate Republicans