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 state representatives, each serving a two-year term, and 48 state senators, who serve four-year terms that are staggered so only half of the Oklahoma Senate districts are eligible in each election year. Legislators are elected directly by the people from single member districts of equal population. The Oklahoma Legislature meets annually in the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City.
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 budget. The upper house of the Oklahoma Legislature is the Oklahoma Senate.
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, and judicial. Through a system of separation of powers or "checks and balances," each of these branches has some authority to act on its own, some authority to regulate the other two branches, and has some of its own authority, in turn, regulated by the other branches.
Virgil Glenn Coffee 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 10, 2011 until he resigned effective February 1, 2013. He was the first Republican President Pro Tempore, having previously served as a Co-President Pro Tempore during the previous legislature.
Illinois is a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections and one of the three largest Democratic states in the nation alongside California and New York. It is one of the most Democratic states in the nation with all state executive offices and both state legislative branches held by Democrats. For most of its history, Illinois was widely considered to be a swing state, voting for the winner of all but two presidential elections in the 20th century. Political party strength in Illinois is highly dependent upon Cook County, and the state's reputation as a blue state rests upon the fact that the majority of its population and political power is concentrated in Chicago, Cook County, and the Chicago metropolitan area. Outside of Chicago, the suburban collar counties continue trending Democratic while downstate Illinois can be considered more conservative with some moderate regions.
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is an agency of the state of Oklahoma that issues rules on the ethical conduct for state elected officials and employees. It also investigates and prosecutes violations of its rules. The Ethics Commission was created by a two-to-one vote of the people of the state per an initiative effort adding Article XXIX to the Oklahoma Constitution. The statewide vote on the amendment was held September 18, 1990. Commissioners were sworn in and began meeting in July 1991.
The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for providing people with physical, mental and visual disabilities with the opportunity to obtain employment and independent living through counseling, job training and other individualized services. DRS helps bridge barriers to success in the workplace, school and at home. DRS has five program divisions, Vocational Rehabilitation, Visual Services, Disability Determination, Oklahoma School for the Blind and Oklahoma School for the Deaf. These divisions operate dozens of specialized programs that help Oklahomans lead more independent and productive lives.
The Oklahoma State Bond Advisor is an officer of the state of Oklahoma who provides advice and assistance to the Governor of Oklahoma on matters relating to capital planning, debt issuance, and debt management. The Office borrows money to operate the Oklahoma state government and manages the resulting debt. The State Bond Advisor serves as the professional staff to the Council on Bond Oversight and assists the Long-Range Capital Planning Commission. The State Bond Advisor is appointed by the Council and serves until removed, for cause, by the Council.
The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust is a public trust created by the State of Oklahoma to manage any money from settlements or lawsuits against any tobacco company. The Trust uses the money, through grants and programs, to improve the health and quality of life of all Oklahomans by funding programs and services that address, prevent and reduce tobacco use and obesity – health behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death in Oklahoma, cancer and cardiovascular disease. TSET has statewide grants, local community-based grants and public health education interventions that include Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, Tobacco Stops With Me and Shape Your Future.
The Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission (OMPC) is an independent quasi-judicial agency of the government of Oklahoma established to protect the integrity of state’s merit system utilized by state agencies and their employees. The Commission and the Office of Personnel Management act independently forming a “checks and balances” method of managing the merit system.
The Oklahoma State Pension Commission is an Oklahoma state agency responsible for analyzing the performance of the State's public pension systems. The Commission also advises the Governor of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Legislature on necessary action to improve the pension systems. The Commission is provided administrative support by the Office of the State Auditor and Inspector.
The government of the State of Washington is the governmental structure of the State of Washington as established by the Constitution of the State of Washington. The executive is composed of the Governor, several other statewide elected officials and the Governor's cabinet. The Washington State Legislature consists of the House of Representatives and State Senate. The judiciary is composed of the Washington Supreme Court and lower courts. There is also local government, consisting of counties, municipalities and special districts.
The Fortieth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City from January 8, 1985, to January 6, 1987, during the term of Governor George Nigh. It was marked by the enactment of the Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986 and the establishment of the franchise tax in Oklahoma.
The Thirty-ninth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City from January 4, 1983, to January 8, 1985, during the term of Governor George Nigh. It was marked by the establishment of the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics.
The Thirty-third Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City from January 5, 1971, to January 2, 1973, during the term of Governor David Hall.
The Seventeenth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The state legislature met in regular session at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City from January 3 to April 29, 1939, during the term of Governor Leon C. Phillips. Phillips was the first state representative to become Governor of Oklahoma.
The Third Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The state legislature met in the Levy Building in Oklahoma City, beginning with a special session from November 28 to December 16, 1910, during the end of Governor Charles Haskell's term and ending with a regular session from January 3 to March 11, 1911, during the first year of the term of Governor Lee Cruce. The Democratic Party, which already held the majority of seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, further increased the number of seats they held after the 1910 election.
