The Fifty-third Oklahoma Legislature was the 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, composed of the Senate and the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

. State legislators met 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, a ...

from January 4, 2011, to January 8, 2013, during the first two years of the first administration of Governor

Mary Fallin Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014. She was the first and s ...

Dates of sessions

*Organizational day: January 4, 2011 *First regular session: February 7, 2011 – May 27, 2011 *Second regular session: February 6, 2012 – May 25, 2012 Previous: 52nd Legislature • Next: 54th Legislature

Party composition

Senate

House of Representatives

Major legislation

As Long as the Waters Flow statue with Oklahoma Capitol building in background

Enacted

2011 Legislative Session *Abortion - HB 1888 banned abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in situations dangerous or life-threatening to the mother. *Abortion - SB 547 mandated that standard health insurance policies sold in Oklahoma or sold through a state

health insurance exchange In the United States, health insurance marketplaces, also called health exchanges, are organizations in each state through which people can purchase health insurance. People can purchase health insurance that complies with the Patient Protectio ...

do not include elective abortion coverage. *Agency consolidation - HB 2140 consolidated the

Oklahoma Department of Central Services The Oklahoma Department of Central Services (DCS) was an agency of the government of Oklahoma which was dissolved in 2011. DCS was responsible for providing services to help manage and support the basic functioning of all state agencies. DCS prov ...

, Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management, Oklahoma State Employees Benefits Council, and the State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board into the

Oklahoma Office of State Finance The Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) is a government agency which manages and supports the basic functioning of the government of Oklahoma. Under the leadership of the Oklahoma Secretary of Agency Accountability, OMES p ...

. *Corrections reform - HB 2131 expanded eligibility of low-risk, nonviolent inmates for community sentencing and electronic monitoring programs. *Education reform - SB 346 eliminated

social promotion Social promotion is the practice of promoting a student (usually a general education student, rather than a special education student) to the next grade after the current school year, regardless of if they learned the necessary material or if the ...

from public schools after the third grade. *Education reform - HB 1456 established an "A-F" Grade System for public schools. *Education reform - HB 1380 eliminated the ability of public school teachers to appeal any termination to state district courts as a

trial de novo In law, the expression trial ''de novo'' means a "new trial" by a different tribunal (''de novo'' is a Latin expression meaning "afresh", "anew", "beginning again", hence the literal meaning "new trial"). A trial ''de novo'' is usually ordered b ...

. *Education reform - HB 2139 increased the authority of the

Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes called the Oklahoma State School Superintendent, is the chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the president of the Oklahoma State Board of E ...

to manage the Oklahoma State Department of Education. *Guns - HB 1439 expanded the right of Oklahomans to use deadly force at their place of business if they feel threatened. *Guns - HB 1652 - allowed licensed Oklahomans to carry a concealed weapon on Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education facilities. *Pensions - HB 2132 required any

cost of living adjustment Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time can be operationalized in a cost-of-living index. Cost of living calculations are also used to compare the cost of maintaining a cer ...

increases to be fully funded prior to implementation. *Pensions - HB 1010 increased the retirement age for new members of the Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges from 65 to 67. *Pensions - SB 377 increased the retirement age for new members of the Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System from 62 to 65 and establishes a minimum age of 60 for full retirement benefits for teachers who meet the rule of 90 (age plus years of service). *Pensions - SB 794 ensured that elected officials are treated the same as other public employees when calculating retirement benefits. *Pensions - SB 347 provided for the forfeiture of a municipal employee's retirement benefits upon conviction of crimes related to their office. *Public employee unions - HB 1593 repealed requirement that cities grant collective bargaining rights to their non-police and non-fire employees. *

Tort reform Tort reform refers to changes in the civil justice system in common law countries that aim to reduce the ability of plaintiffs to bring tort litigation (particularly actions for negligence) or to reduce damages they can receive. Such changes a ...

- HB 2128 reduced the cap on non-economic damages in

tort A tort is a civil wrong that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with criminal wrongs that are punishable ...

lawsuits from $400,000 to $350,000. *

- SB 862 eliminated

joint and several liability Where two or more persons are liable in respect of the same liability, in most common law legal systems they may either be: * jointly liable, or * severally liable, or * jointly and severally liable. Joint liability If parties have joint liabili ...

from

lawsuits. 2012 Legislative Session *Education agency consolidation - SB 1797 consolidated the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Commission, which oversees teacher training requirements, and the Oklahoma Office of Accountability, which monitors the performance of public schools, into new

Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability The Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA) is an government agency, agency of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Education, EQA provides oversight and accountability to the publi ...

under the direction of the Oklahoma Secretary of Education. *Guns - SB 1733 authorized citizens to openly carry firearms upon receiving a license from the

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) is an independent state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. The OSBI assists the county sheriff offices and city police departments of the state, and is the primary investigative ...

. *Public safety - HB 3052 establishes the ''Justice Reinvestment Initiative'' to provide grants to local criminal justice agencies, mandated

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

screenings prior to sentencing, increased parole and community corrections for non-violent offenders, and included other provisions to reduce incarceration rates. *Energy efficiency - SB 1096 directs all State agencies to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent by 2020 *Energy research - SB 1627 established the Oklahoma Energy Initiative to fund energy research and development projects *Litigation reform - HB 2654 limits the remedies available to royalty owners for disputes with oil and gas companies *Transportation - HB 2248 increases annual funding to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to address failing bridges and highways *Transportation - HB 2249 increases annual funding to the various counties to address failing bridges and highways *Physicians - HB 3058 expands Oklahoma Hospital Residency Training Program to address physician shortage in rural areas *Welfare reform - HB 2388 requires the

Oklahoma Department of Human Services The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services, OKDHS is responsible for providing help to individuals and families in need ...

the drug-test all adult who apply for the

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF ) is a federal assistance program of the United States. It began on July 1, 1997, and succeeded the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, providing cash assistance to indigent A ...

program *Abortion - SB 1274 requires doctors to inform pregnant women that she has the right to hear the heartbeat of fetus prior to performing an abortion *Veterans - SB 1863 allows military veterans to transfer military experience for academic credits and other professional licensing requirements *Meth production - HB 2941 limits the amount of pseudoephedrine which may be purchased within a given time span *Veterans - HB 2689 allows children of military personnel from Oklahoma to receive in-state college tuition without regard for state of residency *Water - HB 3055 commits the state to using no more fresh water in 2060 than is presently used

Failed

2012 Legislative Session *HB 3061 - Income tax cut - Lowers the rate of the state income tax *SB 1990 - American Indian Cultural Center - authorizes a bond issue to pay for the completion of an Oklahoma City-based museum

Added to 2012 ballot as a referendum

*HJR 1092 - Human Services Commission - Gave voters the opportunity to abolish constitutionally-authorized commission overseeing Department of Human Services, gives oversight to state legislators

Leadership

Senate

* President of the Senate: Todd Lamb (R-

Although Lamb is formally listed as being from Oklahoma City, he does not ''represent'' any city either as Lieutenant Governor or as Senate President.) * President ''pro tempore'': Brian Bingman (R- Sapulpa)

Republican caucus

*Majority Floor Leader: Mike Schultz *Assistant Majority Floor Leader:

Clark Jolley Clark Jolley is an American Republican politician. He is a former Oklahoma State Senator, Oklahoma Secretary of Finance, Administration and Information Technology, and the former chairman of the Oklahoma Tax Commission. Early life and career B ...

*Assistant Majority Floor Leader: Anthony Sykes *Assistant Majority Floor Leader: John Ford *Majority Whip: Cliff Branan *Majority Whip: Dan Newberry *Majority Whip: Gary Stanislawski *Majority Whip: Rob Johnson *Majority Caucus Chairman: Bryce Marlatt *Majority Caucus Vice-Chairman: David Holt

House of Representatives

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

Kris Steele Kris Steele (born July 11, 1973) is a United States politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma who served as state representative. Steele served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives as the Speaker of the House, a position he took over after ...

(R-Shawnee) * Speaker ''pro tempore'': Jeffrey W. Hickman (R-Fairview)

Republican caucus

*Republican Majority Leader:

Dale DeWitt Dale DeWitt (born January 17, 1950) is a United States politician from Oklahoma. DeWitt currently serves in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He served as Majority Leader and Majority Floor Leader during 2011 and 2012. Early life and caree ...

*Republican Majority Floor Leader: Dan Sullivan *Assistant Republican Majority Floor Leader: Lisa Billy *Assistant Republican Majority Floor Leader: Gary Banz *Assistant Republican Majority Floor Leader: Mike Jackson *Assistant Republican Majority Floor Leader: George Faught *Assistant Republican Majority Floor Leader: Dennis Johnson *Assistant Republican Majority Floor Leader: Leslie Osborn * Republican Majority Whip: Skye McNiel *Deputy Republican Majority Whip: Dennis Casey *Deputy Republican Majority Whip: Marian Cooksey *Deputy Republican Majority Whip: Corey Holland *Deputy Republican Majority Whip: Fred Jordan *Deputy Republican Majority Whip: Steve Martin *Deputy Republican Majority Whip: Randy McDaniel *Deputy Republican Majority Whip: Mike Sanders *Deputy Republican Majority Whip: Paul Wesselhoft *Republican Majority Caucus Chairman: Weldon Watson *Republican Majority Caucus Vice Chairman: Harold Wright *Republican Majority Caucus Secretary: Marian Cooksey

Democratic caucus

* Democratic Minority Leader:

Scott Inman Scott Inman (born October 2, 1978) is an American attorney, banker, and former Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. He served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives as the Minority Leader and Representative of State House D ...

* Democratic Minority Floor Leader: Mike Brown * Deputy Democratic Floor Leader: Eric Proctor * Assistant Democratic Floor Leader: Wes Hilliard * Assistant Democratic Floor Leader: Steve Kouplen * Assistant Democratic Floor Leader: Al McAffrey * Assistant Democratic Floor Leader: Jeannie McDaniel * Assistant Democratic Floor Leader: Wade Rousselot * Assistant Democratic Floor Leader: Mike Shelton * Democratic Whip: Ben Sherrer * Assistant Democratic Whip: Cory T. Williams * Democratic Caucus Chairman: Jerry McPeak * Minority Caucus Vice Chairman: Joe Dorman * Democratic Caucus Secretary: Donnie Condit

Membership

Senate

House of Representatives

References and notes

External links

Oklahoma Legislature Homepage

State of Oklahoma's Website

{{Oklahoma Legislatures Oklahoma legislative sessions 2011 in Oklahoma 2012 in Oklahoma 2011 U.S. legislative sessions 2012 U.S. legislative sessions