Blake Stephens is an American politician from the U.S. state of
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. A member of the
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
, he currently serves in the
Oklahoma Senate
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. He was first elected in the
2020 Oklahoma Senate election
The 2020 Oklahoma Senate election was held as part of the biennial elections in the United States. Oklahoma voters elected state senators in 24 of the state's 48 Senate districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Oklahoma Senate.
Reti ...
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.
Sapulpa
Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census. The population as of 2022 is 22,205. As of 2019, the estimated popul ...
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
counseling
Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes.
This is a list of co ...
from
Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public university with its main campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The university also has two other campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow as well as online. Northeastern is the oldest institution of high ...
. He then worked at
Locust Grove Public Schools
Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstance ...
as a
counselor
Counselor or counsellor may refer to:
A professional In diplomacy and government
* Counsellor of State, senior member of the British royal family to whom the Monarch can delegate some functions in case of unavailability
* Counselor (dipl ...
for over two decades. He also owns a family ranch in
Moodys, Oklahoma
Moodys is an unincorporated community in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States. The community is north of Tahlequah. Moodys has a post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepti ...
.
Stephens ran for governor in the
2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
The 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018. Republican businessman Kevin Stitt was elected the governor of the state, succeeding fellow Republican Mary Fallin, who was term-limited. Primary elections occurred on June ...
Stephens defeated incumbent Wayne Shaw in the Republican primary on June 30, 2020. He then went on to win the
2020 Oklahoma Senate election
The 2020 Oklahoma Senate election was held as part of the biennial elections in the United States. Oklahoma voters elected state senators in 24 of the state's 48 Senate districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Oklahoma Senate.
Reti ...
for District 3. He served in the
58th Oklahoma Legislature
The Fifty-eighth Oklahoma Legislature is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It meets in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from January 3, 2021, to January 3, ...
.
58th Legislature
Sen. Stephens co-authore SB 834 the 'Back the Blue' Bill, to allow cities to paint blue lines and other "signage for the purpose of expressing support for
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term en ...
". The bill passed the
Oklahoma Senate
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. He also authore SB 644 which would allow cities to authorize their employees to carry concealed firearms on the job if properly licensed. Stephens wrot HB 1564 which was introduced in the
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 b ...
by Tom Gann. The bill substantially expands the power of
landlords
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the te ...
to carry out
evictions
Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosed by a mortgagee (often, the prior owners who defaulted on a mortgage ...