The Twenty-fifth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the

legislative branch A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

of the

government of Oklahoma The government of the U.S. State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, a ...

, composed of 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.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 ...

. The state legislature met in regular session at the

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 452,5 ...

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 ...

from January 4 to May 27, 1955, during the term of Governor Raymond D. Gary.A Century to Remember

Oklahoma House of Representatives
(accessed June 16, 2013) Gary had just served as

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-ran ...

during the previous session. He was replaced by Ray Fine, who took over as presiding officer of 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.Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The speaker exercises administrative and procedural functions, but remains a rep ...

and was the first speaker to serve two consecutive terms. During the 1955 session, the state legislature approved a legislative referendum to end school segregation, in response to the 1954 Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. It was approved by voters in 1956 by a 3-1 margin.

Dates of session

*January 4 to May 27, 1955 Previous: 24th Legislature • Next: 26th Legislature

Party composition

Senate

House of Representatives

Major legislation

*Desegregation - House Joint Resolution 504 created a legislative referendum to end school segregation, in response to the 1954 Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. It was approved by voters in 1956 by a 3-1 margin.

Leadership

Democratic

*Senate President Pro Tem: Ray Fine *

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hunger ...

: B.E. Bill Harkey *Speaker Pro Tempore: Floyd Sumrall *Majority Floor Leader: James Bullard

Republican

* Minority Leader: W.A. Burton Jr.

Staff

*Carl Staas was the chief clerk of 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 ...

Members

Senate

*Table based on 2005 Oklahoma Almanac.

House of Representatives

*Table based on government database.Historic Members
, Okhouse.gov (accessed July 3, 2013).

References

{{Oklahoma Legislatures Oklahoma legislative sessions 1955 in Oklahoma 1956 in Oklahoma 1955 U.S. legislative sessions 1956 U.S. legislative sessions