James Allen Williamson (born May 27, 1951) is an American attorney and Republican 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 ...

. Williamson served 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 ...

from 1980 to 1986 and 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.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-r ...

Brian Bingman Brian John Bingman (born December 9, 1953) is an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma serving as Secretary of State and Native American Affairs and was formerly the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate. He cur ...

's leadership staff as senior policy advisor and legal counsel.Pro Tem Bingman names Williamson as policy advisor, legal counsel
Capitolbeatok.com, November 19, 2013. (accessed May 31, 2013)

Early life and career

Williamson was born May 27, 1951, in Fort Riley, Kansas.James Williamson Biography
Project Vote Smart (accessed May 31, 2013) After earning a Bachelor of Science in Education and a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from the

University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...

, Williamson taught social studies prior to embarking on a law career.

Political career

During his political career, he served in various positions. From 1980 through 1986, he represented House District 76 (the southeast part of Tulsa and Broken Arrow). From 1982 to 1986 he served as Assistant House Republican Floor Leader before being elected (in 1996) to the Senate, representing Senate District 35 (the south central part of Tulsa and Jenks). From 1998 to 2002 he served as Assistant Senate Republican Leader, and then as Senate Republican Leader beginning in 2003 until 2004. In 2006, Williamson ran for Governor of Oklahoma but was defeated in the primary. During the 2007 session, Williamson was the lead sponsor of three major pieces of legislation: a bill banning state funds from being used at state facilities for the promotion or use in abortions, an immigration reform bill, and a lawsuit reform bill. All eventually became law except the lawsuit reform bill, which was vetoed. Williamson authored Oklahoma's ban on gay marriage.

Later life

Williamson was hired to serve on

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-r ...

's leadership staff as senior policy advisor and legal counsel in 2010.

Notable relatives

He is related to former State Representative Allen Williamson, who served in the House from 1966 to 1974 and was honored with the dedication of a bridge named after him in

Payne County Payne County is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,350. Its county seat is Stillwater. The county was created in 1890 as part of Oklahoma Territory and is named for Capt. David L. Payne, a lead ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, James Allen 1951 births 21st-century American politicians Living people Republican Party Oklahoma state senators Secretaries of State of Oklahoma University of Tulsa alumni