The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

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 sta ...

, 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 ...

. The speaker exercises administrative and procedural functions, but remains a representative of his legislative district. The current Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is

Charles McCall Charles Adelbert McCall III (born April 19, 1970) is an American politician who currently serves as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he represents the 22nd House District, which is located in ...

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 ...

from

Atoka, Oklahoma Atoka is a city in and the county seat of Atoka County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,107 at the 2010 census, an increase of 4.0 percent from the figure of 2,988 in 2000. The city was settled by the Choctaw and named in 1867 by ...

. The position was created in 1907 by the Oklahoma Constitution. Members of the

vote for the speaker in the first legislative session following an election. Although there is no constitutional requirement to elect a speaker from the majority party, in practice, the speaker has never been a member of the minority party. In 1929, a coalition of dissident Democratic members voted with the minority Republican caucus to oust Democrat Allen Street from the speaker's office and replace him with Democrat

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 ...

who was State Representative of Walters, Oklahoma. Under Nance, the Oklahoma House of Representatives presented 13 charges against Governor Henry S. Johnston. Johnston was impeached in March on one charge. The speaker is third in

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.Governorship of Oklahoma, behind the

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

and the

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 ...

Powers and duties

The speaker holds a variety of powers as the presiding officer of the

. Before any member may speak, he must seek the presiding officer's recognition. The presiding officer has discretion to call on members and control the flow of debate. The presiding officer decides questions of order during debate, seats the chamber, calls members to order for violating rules, and approves claims for supplies and services. The speaker is responsible for maintaining decorum and enforces the rules. On the floor of the

, the presiding officer is always addressed as "Mister Speaker". The speaker designates the number of committees and appoints committee leadership and membership. When a bill is introduced, the speaker determines which committee shall consider it. The speaker is an ex officio voting member that can participate in any committee vote. As a state representative, the speaker is entitled to participate in debate and to vote on the floor of the

. Following the general election, the

Secretary of State of Oklahoma The Secretary of State of the State of Oklahoma is the chief clerical officer of Oklahoma and a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary of State is the only appointed constitutional member of the executive branch of the Oklahom ...

transmits the results of the election to the speaker. The speaker must open and announce the election results in the presence of a majority of the members of both the

and

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 b ...

and before proceeding to other business. The

may be called into special session by a written call signed by two-thirds of the members of the

. Once conditions are met, the call is filed with the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives 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 Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is third in the gubernatorial line of succession behind the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma and the

President pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

of the

, the speaker ranks above the speaker pro tempore, the majority leader, the majority whip, the majority caucus chair, and the appropriations committee chair. The minority leader is also an officer, but has little authority, other than to negotiate on behalf of the minority party on matters of legislative policy.

Selection

Article Five of the Oklahoma Constitution authorizes the

to elect a speaker at the beginning of each regular session. Unlike the

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U. ...

, the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is required to be a member of the

. The Oklahoma Constitution also allows for the election of a Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives at "times as may be necessary," which include in the event of the resignation or death of a speaker or during

special session In a legislature, a special session (also extraordinary session) is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year (often delayed by confli ...

s. In practice, speakers are elected following each biennial general election and serve two-year terms. Following the general election, the party holding the majority of seats in the

comes together before the new Legislature comes into session and elects a speaker-elect. The

formally elects the speaker on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January in odd-numbered years.Legislative Manual
Oklahoma House of Representatives (accessed May 11, 2013) After the speaker is elected, he is sworn in by the chief justice of the

Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

. An example of a case in which a speaker was elected under special circumstances was in 1983. Speaker Dan Draper was convicted of a felony, election fraud, and his office was declared vacant by Governor

George Nigh George Patterson Nigh (born June 9, 1927) is an American politician and civic leader from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Nigh served as the 17th and the 22nd governor of Oklahoma and as the eighth and tenth lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. He was th ...

. Nigh set the date for a special election. By the time Draper's conviction was overturned on judicial appeal, a new speaker had been elected.

History

Early years (1907–1929)

Following the statehood of Oklahoma in 1907, House members elected the first Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Unlike present day speaker elections, there was no candidate with prior service in the House to choose from. Since the Democrats controlled the House, members knew the speaker was going to be a Democrat. After much deliberation, state representatives chose former

Chickasaw Nation The Chickasaw Nation (Chickasaw language, Chickasaw: Chikashsha I̠yaakni) is a federally recognized tribes, federally recognized Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe, with its headquarters located in Ada, Oklahoma in th ...

representative and President of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention William H. Murray. Sworn into office on November 16, 1907, (the day Oklahoma joined the Union) Murray served as the speaker from 1907 to 1909.A ''Century'' to Remember
, Oklahoma House of Representatives (accessed April 30, 2013) In the first 13 years of Oklahoma's statehood, the Democrats held control of both the House and the Senate. However, in the 1920 mid-term elections, the Republicans won control of the House for the first time in state history due to problems faced by Democratic

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 ...

James B. A. Robertson James Brooks Ayres Robertson (March 15, 1871 – March 7, 1938), sometimes called J. B. A. Robertson, was an American lawyer, judge and the fourth governor of Oklahoma. Robertson was appointed by the state's first governor, Charles N. Haskell, ...

's administration. The Republicans selected

George B. Schwabe George Blaine Schwabe (July 26, 1886 – April 2, 1952) was an American politician and a Republican U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma. Biography Schwabe was born in Arthur in Vernon County son of George Washington Schwabe and Emily Ellen (Mose) S ...

to control the House from 1921 to 1923. Under Speaker Schwabe's leadership, the Republican House was in constant conflict Democratic Senate. Following a scandal in the governor's office, Speaker Schwabe led the charge to impeach many state officials.O'Dell, Larry
Robertson, James Brooks Ayers (1871-1938)
, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed May 11, 2013) The House came within one vote of

impeach Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In E ...

ing Governor Robertson. They did impeach Lieutenant Governor

Martin E. Trapp Martin Edwin Trapp (April 18, 1877 – July 26, 1951) was an American state auditor, governor and lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma's third Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma, lieutenant governor, he was the first to beco ...

, but the state senate did not sustain the charges. After the 1922 general election, the Democratic caucus regained control of the House. The Democrats would maintain their control of the House for the next eighty years. Under Democratic Speaker Murray F. Gibbons, the state legislature impeached Governor

Jack C. Walton John Calloway Walton (March 6, 1881 – November 25, 1949) was an American politician and the fifth governor of Oklahoma. He served the shortest term of any Governor of Oklahoma, being the first Governor in the state's history to be removed from ...

, who was suspended on October 23, 1923, and convicted and removed from office of November 19, 1923, making Lieutenant Governor

acting governor upon his suspension and the sixth

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 (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

upon his conviction.

Historic bipartisan coalition

In 1929, a coalition of dissident Democratic members voted with the minority Republican caucus to oust Democrat Allen Street from the speaker's office and replace him with Democrat

who was State Representative of Walters, Oklahoma. Under Nance, the Oklahoma House of Representatives presented 13 charges against Governor Henry S. Johnston.Burke, Bob
JOHNSTON, HENRY SIMPSON (1867-1965)
,
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
'', Oklahoma State University. (accessed July 2, 2013)

2013-07-05. Johnston was impeached in March on one charge.

Mid-late 20th century (1930–1999)

Governor William H. Murray convinced state senator Tom Anglin to run for the

, assuring him that he would be elected as Speaker. Under Anglin's leadership, the House approved the governor's proposed budget cuts. Governor

E.W. Marland Ernest Whitworth Marland, known as E. W. Marland (May 8, 1874 – October 3, 1941), was an American lawyer, oil businessman in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, and politician who was a U.S. representative and Oklahoma governor. He served in the United ...

helped

Leon C. Phillips Leon Chase "Red" Phillips (December 9, 1890 – March 27, 1958) was an American attorney, a state legislator and the 11th governor of Oklahoma from 1939 to 1943. As a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and as Speaker of the Oklahom ...

become Speaker in 1935 hoping to bring the obstructionist legislator to his side, but found that the new speaker opposed many of his proposals. Phillips would go on to succeed Marland and governor, becoming the first state representative in office to successfully campaign to become governor. After the resignation of Speaker Harold Freeman in order to enter military service after the 1943 session, Merle Lansden was elected to the office, the first time a speaker was elected due to a vacancy.A Century to Remember

Oklahoma House of Representatives
(accessed July 22, 2013) Lansden presided over a special session called by Governor

Robert S. Kerr Robert Samuel Kerr (September 11, 1896 – January 1, 1963) was an American businessman and politician from Oklahoma. Kerr formed a petroleum company before turning to politics. He served as the 12th governor of Oklahoma from 1943 to 1947 and ...

to ensure military men and women could participate in the 1944 elections. In 1957, B.E. "Bill" Harkey became the first speaker to serve a second term. After Harkey's landmark victory, having one speaker serving multiple terms became the norm. From 1959 through 2005, 11 individuals have served as the speaker over 23 legislative sessions. During this 46-year period, all but one speaker served as two consecutive terms, with five speakers serving three consecutive terms.

Jim Barker James Barker (born August 25, 1956) is a senior advisor for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Barker has been the general manager of the Calgary Stampeders from 2005-07, and the Argonauts from 2011-2016. He was also th ...

from

Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...

, holds the current record of four consecutive terms, serving from 1983 to 1989. Barker's lengthy tenure set the stage for his ouster. In 1989, he was removed from office by a coalition of dissident Democratic members led by Representative Cal Hobson, voting with the Republican caucus. In this event, the Democratic caucus acting alone selected Representative Steve Lewis as the new speaker over Hobson.

Political realignment (2000–present)

After the 2004 Presidential Election, the Republicans gained control of the House for the first time since 1921. The Republicans selected

Todd Hiett Todd Hiett (born July 9, 1967) is an American rancher and Republican politician from Kellyville, Oklahoma. He served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1995 until 2007. During his final two years in office, Hiett served as the Speaker ...

to serve as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Had the Democratic caucus retained the majority,

Jari Askins Jari Askins (born April 27, 1953) is an American judge, lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, being the second woman and the first female Democratic Party member to hol ...

could have become the first female Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. In 2006, Republican

Speaker pro Tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

Susan Winchester was seen by many political observers as in line to become the first female speaker, but lost out to Representative Lance Cargill, a former

Majority leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.

. Following the 2006 election, the Republicans retained the majority in the House for the first time in 82 years. They selected

Lance Cargill Lance Cargill (born September 13, 1971) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Cargill served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from January 2, 2007, to January 28, 2008. He resigned ...

to succeed Hiett as the Speaker. In 2008, Speaker Cargill resigned when he failed to properly address questions about his filing income and property taxes late and a campaign fundraising ethics investigation. Following Cargill's resignation as speaker in January 2008,

Chris Benge Chris Benge (born September 9, 1962) is an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma, who served as the 33rd Oklahoma Secretary of State from 2013 to 2016. Benge was appointed to serve as Secretary of State by Oklahoma Gove ...

was elected to succeed him. In 2010, Chris Benge was term-limited and therefore could not seek re-election.

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 ...

succeeded Benge in 2011. In a ceremony on January 8, 2013,

T.W. Shannon Tahrohon Wayne Shannon (born February 24, 1978) is an American banker and politician who served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives for the 62nd district from 2007 to 2015. In a ceremony on January 8, 2013, Shannon took the oat ...

took the oath of office to be Oklahoma's first African-American Speaker of the House.McNutt, Michael.
T.W. Shannon of Lawton officially takes Oklahoma House speakers post
" ''The Oklahoman'', January 9, 2013 (accessed July 21, 2013). He resigned as speaker on February 10, 2014 to run unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate and was succeeded by Jeff W. Hickman.

List of speakers

References

{{Speakers of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Government of Oklahoma

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 ...

Oklahoma Legislature