Political career
Steele was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives on November 7,2000, [2] He filed five bills in the 2001 session;two became law. [4]
Steele became House Speaker Pro Tempore when Chris Benge took over as Speaker of the House following Lance Cargill's resignation in January 2008. [5] [6]
The Shawnee lawmaker had several pieces of legislation signed into law from the 2009 session,including the "Health Care for Oklahomans Act" and "The Silver Alert Act". [7]
Steele introduced a 2012 proposal to reject a pay raise for statewide officials and judges. [8] [9]
Steele presided over the 53rd Oklahoma Legislature and under his tenure oversaw the enactment of tort reform,the elimination of social promotion in public school after the third grade,the elimination of the ability of teachers to appeal termination to district courts as trial de novo,corrections reform that expanded the eligibility of low-risk,nonviolent inmates for community sentencing and electronic monitoring programs,pension reform,agency consolidation and the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.
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 cycle. 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 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.
Lance Cargill 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 his leadership role due to tax and ethics controversies and was succeeded as speaker by Chris Benge.
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.
Charlie Laster is an American attorney and former Democratic member and Minority Leader of the Oklahoma Senate. Laster served as a caucus leader during a period of Oklahoma history in which the Republican Party and Democratic Party had equal representation in the Oklahoma Senate.
Shane David Jett is an American politician from the state of Oklahoma, who is the state senator from Senate District 17, which includes northern Pottawatomie County and eastern Oklahoma County. He was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2004 to 2010, representing House District 27. He also serves as chairman of the U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund Community Development Advisory Board.
The Fifty-first Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. State legislators met at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City from January 2, 2007 to January 3, 2009, during the first two years of the second term of Governor Brad Henry. A tie in the number of seats held by Republicans and Democrats in the Oklahoma Senate resulted in bipartisan leadership. Republicans held the majority of seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Chris Benge 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 Governor Mary Fallin on November 8, 2013.
The Fifty-second Oklahoma Legislature was the meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City from January 3, 2009, to January 4, 2011, during the second two years of the second administration of Governor Brad Henry. It was the first session in state history where the Republican Party has controlled both houses of the legislature.
The 2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation was a criminal investigation that focused on whether Oklahoma State Representative Randy Terrill (R-Moore), State Representative Mike Christian, and State Senator Debbe Leftwich engaged in political corruption involving the Office of the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner.
Jeff W. Hickman is an American politician in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. He is a former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, as of February 3, 2017.
The Fifty-fourth Oklahoma Legislature was the meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma from January 8, 2013 to January 5, 2015. The first session met from February 4, 2013, to May 24, 2013, in the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City, during the third year of the first administration of Governor Mary Fallin. After the 2012 elections, the Republican Party held more than two-thirds of the seats in the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
The Forty-seventh 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, 1999, to January 2, 2001, during the first two years of the second term of Governor Frank Keating.
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 Thirtieth 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 5 to July 22, 1965, during the first term of Governor Henry Bellmon. It was the last time the state legislature met only once every two years, and the first time since A. C. Hamlin left office in 1910 that the legislature included black members.
The Twentieth 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 from January 2 to April 26, 1945, during the term of Governor Robert S. Kerr.
The Eighteenth 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 7 to May 23, 1941, during the term of Governor Leon C. Phillips.
The Sixth 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 Oklahoma City, in regular session from January 2 to March 16, 1917, during the third year of the term of Governor Robert L. Williams.
