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-ranking official, serving ex officio as President of the Senate, even though the lieutenant governor only votes in the case of a tie. During the lieutenant governor's absence, the president pro tempore presides over sessions. By longstanding custom, the lieutenant governor presides over sessions devoted to ceremonial purposes, while the bulk of the legislative management and political power is reserved for the president pro tempore, who is elected directly by the Oklahoma Senate. The office of president pro tempore was created upon the ratification of the state constitution in 1907. The president pro tempore is popularly elected by the state senators, unlike the custom of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

where the most senior senator in the majority party serves as president pro tempore. As of 2013, every Oklahoma president pro tempore has been a member of the majority party, though it is not a constitutional requirement. The president pro tempore is second in gubernatorial

line of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 ...

is the

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 ...

Powers and duties

Although the president pro tempore is not the only state senator that can serve as a presiding officer, he holds the power to assign the presiding officer in his absence. During session, the presiding officer controls the flow of debate on the Oklahoma Senate floor, decides questions of order, seats the chamber, calls members to order for violating rules, and approves claims for supplies and services. The president pro tempore is responsible for maintaining decorum and enforcing the rules. The lieutenant governor presides over session in ceremonial instances such as the governor's State of the State speech. On the floor of the Oklahoma Senate, the presiding officer is always addressed as "Mister President" regardless of whether or not he is in fact the senate president or president pro tempore. The president pro tempore designates the number of committees and appoints committee leadership and membership and determines bill assignment to committees and is an ''ex officio'' voting member that can participate in committee votes. As a state senator, the president pro tempore is entitled to participate in debate and to vote. The state legislature may be called into special session by a written call signed by two-thirds of the members of the Oklahoma Senate and two-thirds of the members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Once conditions are met, the call is filed with the president pro tempore and the speaker who must issue a join order for the convening of the special session. According to Section 16 of Article Six of the Oklahoma Constitution, the president pro tempore is second in the gubernatorial line of succession behind the lieutenant governor.

History

Democratic control (1907-2007)

Henry S. Johnston, of

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

, was sworn into office as the first president pro tempore on November 16, 1907, the same day Oklahoma was admitted

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

. He served a single term and was replaced by J. C. Graham in 1909.2005 Oklahoma Almanac
Oklahoma Department of Libraries (accessed July 23, 2013) For its first 60 years, no one person ever held the office for more than one term consecutively. Tom Anglin of

Holdenville, Oklahoma Holdenville is a city in and county seat of Hughes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,771 at the 2010 census, an increase of 22 percent from 4,732 at the 2000 census.

, was the first to hold the office a second time, serving from 1923 to 1925 and again from 1943 to 1945. Clem McSpadden was the first president pro tempore to serve two consecutive terms, from 1965 to 1969. From 1965 to 2006, ten state senators have been selected to serve as president pro tempore over the 41-year period that would have allowed for the election of 22 presidents pro tempore. Of those ten, only James E. Hamilton of

Poteau, Oklahoma Poteau ( ) is a city in, and county seat of, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 8,520 as of the 2010 census. History In 1719, Bernard de la Harpe led a group of French explorers through this area and gave the river its ...

, and Cal Hobson of

Lexington, Oklahoma Lexington is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States. The city population was 2,152 at the 2010 census. Geography Lexington is located in southern Cleveland County at . It is bordered on the west by the Canadian River, which forms t ...

, served only one full single term. Hamilton was an unsuccessful candidate for the

in 1980, and he eventually returned to politics as a state representative, where he chaired the appropriations committee. Hobson won reelection to the office of president pro tempore, but resigned shortly thereafter when the Oklahoma Senate Democratic Caucus voted to allow him to resign or be ousted due to alcohol abuse during the 2005 legislative session. After completing his treatment for alcoholism, Hobson sought unsuccessfully to be the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma in 2006. Four presidents pro tempore have served two consecutive terms and two have served three consecutive terms. As of 2013,

Stratton Taylor Stratton Taylor (born 1956) is an American attorney and was the longest-serving President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Elected as President pro tempore on a unanimous, bipartisan vote in 1995, he served eight ...

holds the record of four consecutive terms. Taylor held the office for eight years, 1995 to 2003, serving as the president pro tempore under the entire administration of Governor

Frank Keating Francis Anthony Keating II (initially born as David Rowland Keating) (born February 10, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th governor of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. , Keating is one of only five governors in Okl ...

Evenly divided (2007-2009)

Following the 2006 elections, the number of state senators was split evenly between the two major political parties; there were 24 Democratic senators and 24 Republican senators.Krehbiel, Randy
GOP victories create a tie in state Senate
''Tulsa World'', November 8, 2006 (accessed July 23, 2013) The election of Democratic candidate Jari Askins as the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, the ex officio President of the Senate, gave the Oklahoma Senate Democrats a single-vote majority. The Oklahoma Constitution specifically states that only one state senator can be elected as president ''pro tempore''. To address the historic tie, a power sharing agreement was reached that created the "co-president ''pro tempore''." Under this agreement, Democratic State Senator Mike Morgan of Stillwater served as the president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate and Republican State Senator

Glenn Coffee Virgil Glenn Coffee (born January 20, 1967) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Coffee was the 30th Oklahoma Secretary of State, having been appointed by Governor Mary Fallin. He served from January 1 ...

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 ...

served as co-president ''pro tempore''. Coffee switched places with Morgan for one month, July 2007, to symbolize the unity between the two parties. While Coffee held the office of president ''pro tempore'' in July, Morgan served as the co-president ''pro tempore''. Morgan and Coffee took turns presiding over the Oklahoma Senate and, under the agreement, Morgan only had appointment authority as long as Coffee assented to the appointment, effectively making them both fully vested with the duties and rights of president ''pro tempore''. Additionally, under the agreement, should the

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the '' ex of ...

and Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma both have been absent from the state, Morgan would have served as the acting governor except for the one month of July, 2007.

Republican control (2009-present)

Following the 2008 elections, the Republicans won control of the Senate for the first time in state history, with 26 Republicans and 22 Democrats. They selected Glenn Coffee to serve as the first full President ''pro tempore'' who served from 2009-2011 when he was term-limited out and was selected to serve as Secretary of State in

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

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 ...

's administration. Brian Bingman served as President ''pro tempore'' from 2011 to 2017, and was succeeded by the current President Pro Tempore, Mike Schulz in 2017.

List of former presidents ''pro tempore''

The complete list of former presidents ''pro tempore'' is below. Note: All locations are in Oklahoma. {, class=wikitable ! # ! President ''pro tempore'' ! Party ! Hometown ! Legislature ! Start of service ! End of service , - , 1 , Henry S. Johnston ,

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Perry , align=center , 1st , align=center , 1907 , align=center , 1909 , - , 2 , J.C. Graham ,

, Marietta , align=center ,

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

, align=center , 1909 , align=center , 1911 , - , 3 ,

Elmer Thomas John William Elmer Thomas (September 8, 1876 – September 19, 1965) was a native of Indiana who moved to Oklahoma Territory in 1901, where he practiced law in Lawton. After statehood, he was elected to the first state senate, representing the L ...

, Lawton , align=center , 3rd , align=center , 1911 , align=center , 1913 , - , 4 , C.B. Kendrick ,

, Ardmore , align=center , 4th , align=center , 1913 , align=center , 1915 , - , 5 , E.L. Mitchell ,

, Cheyenne , align=center ,

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

, align=center , 1915 , align=center , 1917 , - , 6 , C.W. Board ,

, Okemah , align=center , 6th , align=center , 1917 , align=center , 1919 , - , 7 , R.L. Davidson ,

, Tulsa , align=center , 7th , align=center , 1919 , align=center , 1921 , - , 8 , T.C. Simpson ,

, Thomas , align=center ,

8th 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

, align=center , 1921 , align=center , 1923 , - , 9 , Tom Anglin ,

, Holdenville , align=center , 9th , align=center , 1923 , align=center , 1925 , - , 10 , William J. Holloway ,

, Hugo , align=center ,

10th 10 (ten) is the even natural number following 9 and preceding 11. Ten is the base of the decimal numeral system, by far the most common system of denoting numbers in both spoken and written language. It is the first double-digit number. The re ...

, align=center , 1925 , align=center , 1927 , - , 11 , Mac Q. Williamson ,

, Pauls Valley , align=center ,

11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first atteste ...

, align=center , 1927 , align=center , 1929 , - , 12 , C.S. Storms ,

, Waurika , align=center , 12th , align=center , 1929 , align=center , 1931 , - , 13 , W.G. Stigler ,

, Stigler , align=center ,

13th In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octave pl ...

, align=center , 1931 , align=center , 1933 , - , 14 , Paul Stewart ,

, Antlers , align=center , 14th , align=center , 1933 , align=center , 1935 , - , 15 , Claud Briggs ,

, Wilburton , align=center , 15th , align=center , 1935 , align=center , 1937 , - , 16 , Allen G. Nichols ,

, Wewoka , align=center , 16th , align=center , 1937 , align=center , 1939 , - , 17 , Jim A. Rinehart ,

, El Reno , align=center , 17th , align=center , 1939 , align=center , 1941 , - , 18 , H.M. Curnutt ,

, Barnsdall , align=center , 18th , align=center , 1941 , align=center , 1941 , - , 19 , Ray C. Jones ,

, Barnsdall , align=center ,

19th 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

, align=center , 1941 , align=center , 1942 , - , 20 , Tom Anglin ,

, Holdenville , align=center , 20th , align=center , 1943 , align=center , 1945 , - , 21 , Homer Paul ,

, Pauls Valley , align=center , 20th , align=center , 1945 , align=center , 1947 , - , 22 ,

James C. Nance James Clark "Jim" Nance (August 27, 1893 – September 3, 1984) was a leader for 40 years in the Oklahoma Legislature in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and was community newspaper chain publisher 66 years. Nance served as Speaker of the Oklahoma H ...

, Purcell , align=center , 21st , align=center , 1947 , align=center , 1949 , - , 23 , Bill Logan ,

, Lawton , align=center , 22nd , align=center , 1949 , align=center , 1951 , - , 24 , Boyd Cowden ,

, Chandler , align=center , 23rd , align=center , 1951 , align=center , 1953 , - , 25 , Raymond Gary ,

, Madill , align=center , 24th , align=center , 1953 , align=center , 1955 , - , 26 , Ray Fine ,

, Gore , align=center ,

25th 25 (twenty-five) is the natural number following 24 and preceding 26. In mathematics It is a square number, being 52 = 5 × 5. It is one of two two-digit numbers whose square and higher powers of the number also ends in the same last t ...

, align=center , 1955 , align=center , 1957 , - , 27 , Don Baldwin ,

, Anadarko , align=center , 26th , align=center , 1957 , align=center , 1959 , - , 28 , Harold Garvin ,

, Duncan , align=center ,

27th 27 (twenty-seven; Roman numeral XXVII) is the natural number following 26 and preceding 28. In mathematics * Twenty-seven is a cube of 3: 3^3=3\times 3\times 3. 27 is also 23 (see tetration). There are exactly 27 straight lines on a smooth ...

, align=center , 1959 , align=center , 1961 , - , 29 , Everett C. Boecher ,

, Sapulpa , align=center ,

28th 28 (twenty-eight) is the natural number following 27 and preceding 29. In mathematics It is a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14. Twenty-eight is the second perfect number - it is the sum of its proper diviso ...

, align=center , 1961 , align=center , 1963 , - , 30 , Roy C. Boecher ,

, Kingfisher , align=center , 29th , align=center , 1963 , align=center , 1965 , - , rowspan=2 , 31 , rowspan=2 , Clem McSpadden , rowspan=2 ,

, rowspan=2 , Chelsea , align=center , 30th , rowspan=2 align=center , 1965 , rowspan=2 align=center , 1969 , - , align=center , 31st , - , rowspan=2, 32 , rowspan=2, Finis Smith , rowspan=2,

, rowspan=2, Tulsa , align=center ,

32nd 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

, rowspan=2 align=center , 1969 , rowspan=2 align=center , 1973 , - , align=center , 33rd , - , 33 , James E. Hamilton ,

, Poteau , align=center , 34th , align=center , 1973 , align=center , 1975 , - , rowspan=3, 34 , rowspan=3, Gene C. Howard , rowspan=3,

, rowspan=3, Tulsa , align=center ,

35th Military units *35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force *35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I *35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...

, rowspan=3 align=center , 1975 , rowspan=3 align=center , 1981 , - , align=center , 36th , - , align=center , 37th , - , rowspan=2, 35 , rowspan=2, Marvin York , rowspan=2,

, rowspan=2, Oklahoma City , align=center , 38th , rowspan=2 align=center , 1981 , rowspan=2 align=center , 1985 , - , align=center , 39th , - , rowspan=2, 36 , rowspan=2, Rodger Randle , rowspan=2,

, rowspan=2, Tulsa , align=center , 40th , rowspan=2 align=center , 1985 , rowspan=2 align=center , 1988 , - , align=center, 41st , - , rowspan=3, 37 , rowspan=3, Robert V. Cullison , rowspan=3,

, rowspan=3, Skiatook , align=center , 42nd , rowspan=3 align=center , 1988 , rowspan=3 align=center , 1995 , - , align=center , 43rd , - , align=center , 44th , - , rowspan=4, 38 , rowspan=4,

, rowspan=4,

, rowspan=4, Claremore , align=center , 45th , rowspan=4 align=center , 1995 , rowspan=4 align=center , 2003 , - , align=center , 46th , - , align=center , 47th , - , align=center , 48th , - , 39 ,

Cal Hobson Calvin Jackson Hobson III (born March 30, 1945) is an American politician in the state of Oklahoma. Early life, family, and education Hobson was born in 1945 in Tucson, Arizona as the eldest son of Wardena and Calvin Jackson Hobson II, his par ...

, Lexington , align=center , 49th , align=center , 2003 , align=center , 2005 , - , rowspan=2 , 40 , rowspan=2 , Mike Morgan , rowspan=2 ,

, rowspan=2 , Stillwater , align=center , 50th , rowspan=2 align=center , 2005 , rowspan=2 align=center , June 30, 2007 , - , align=center , 51st , - , 41 ,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, Oklahoma City , align=center , 51st , align=center , July 1, 2007 , align=center , July 31, 2007 , - , 42 , Mike Morgan ,

, Stillwater , align=center , 51st , align=center , August 1, 2007 , align=center , 2009 , - , 43 ,

, Oklahoma City , align=center , 52nd , align=center , 2009 , align=center , 2011 , - , rowspan=3, 44 , rowspan=3, Brian Bingman , rowspan=3,

, rowspan=3, Sapulpa , align=center , 53rd , rowspan=3 align=center , 2011 , rowspan=3 align=center , 2017 , - , align=center , 54th , - , align=center , 55th , - , 45 , rowspan=3, Mike Schulz , rowspan=3,

, rowspan=3, Altus , align=center , 56th , rowspan=3 align=center , 2017 , rowspan=3 align=center , 2018 , - {{Party shading/Republican

References

External links

Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Legislature Chairs of subnational legislatures