Tuesday served as an organizational day for the Oklahoma Legislature officially electing Rep. Charles McCall to once again serve as Speaker of the House and Senator Greg Treat as the new Senate President Pro Tempore. They will lead the 57th Legislature when the first regular session begins in February.
“Serving in the Legislature is not about us; it is about working for the good of our citizens,” said McCall. “In the House of Representatives, we are the body closest to the people, and those citizens want a responsive, productive Legislature. The citizens of this state have sent us here to solve problems. Last year, the House was able to come together and move Oklahoma forward. We may have different ideas, but we must work together to find a path forward that is in the best interest of all. I believe that, together, we can enact policies that create a better economic climate, that improve our education and healthcare systems and that better serve our marginalized citizens.”
Treat previously served as the majority floor leader for the Senate.
“I am humbled and honored to serve as the leader of the Oklahoma Senate. I very much appreciate my colleagues for their trust in my leadership and look forward to the challenge ahead. I also want to thank my wife and children. Without their love and support, I would not be able to serve in the Senate,” said Treat.
“As leader of the Senate I promise our chamber will work hard, we’ll work together across political parties, and we’ll work toward policies that are good for all Oklahomans. There are certainly challenges facing our state, but there is nothing standing in our way that we can’t overcome together. I am optimistic about the future of our state and feel very blessed to be in a position to help lead Oklahoma to an even better and brighter future.”
As the Oklahoma Constitution mandates, the House and Senate must use the organizational day to put leadership into place.
In the House, Rep. Harold Wright was re-elected to serve as the Speaker Pro-Tempore.
The Senate certified the 2018 election results and officially elected its leadership to include:
Senator Kim David – Majority Floor Leader
Senator Roger Thompson – Appropriations chair
Senator Jason Smalley – Majority Caucus chair
Senator Rob Standridge – Majority Whip
Senator Stephanie Bice – Assistant Floor Leader
Senator Frank Simpson – Assistant Floor Leader
Senator Dave Rader – Majority Caucus vice chair
Senator Julie Daniels – Assistant Majority Whip
Senator Casey Murdock – Assistant Majority Whip
Senator Marty Quinn – Assistant Majority Whip
Senator Darcy Jech – Rural Caucus chair
The deadline for bills and joint resolutions is January 17, 2019. The session’s first day is February 4.
