GOP Caucus leaders chosen in Oklahoma House

 

The leaders of the Oklahoma House Republican Caucus who will be responsible for pushing through any energy-related bills in the legislature were chosen this week.

State Rep. Charles McCall, R-Atoka, is speaker-elect as no one else filed for that position. This would be his third term as speaker.

Rep. Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa was chosen to be speaker pro-tempore-elect replacing Rep. Harold Wright of Weatherford who was term-limited this year.

O’Donnell has served the House as majority whip since the 56th Legislature and served as the chair of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee the past two years. He also is a member of the House Appropriations & Budget and the Judiciary Committees as well as a member of the House and Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations & Budget.

 

Both the pro-tem and speaker positions will have to be approved by the full House when it meets for Organizational Day, Jan. 5. This day is required by the state Constitution to certify newly elected members and formally elect House leadership.

Also elected this week was State Rep. Sheila Dills, R-Tulsa, to serve as Caucus Chair.

Other elected caucus leadership positions include:

  • Vice Caucus Chair, state Rep. Rusty Cornwell, R-Vinita.
  • Caucus Secretary, state Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont

Dills replaces former caucus chair, State Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City. Cornwell and Crosswhite Hader replace State Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, and State Rep. Carol Bush, R-Tulsa, in their respective positions.

The House Republican Caucus will have its largest majority ever in the upcoming session with 82 members.

Source: OK House