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2020 Oklahoma legislative session

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Some states made changes to 2020 state legislative sessions and legislative activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
For a full list of changes, visit: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020.
Oklahoma: Governor Kevin Stitt (R) called the Oklahoma State Legislature into a special session scheduled to convene on April 6, 2020. The regular legislative session reconvened on May 4, 2020. The legislature adjourned on May 22, 2020.
Oklahoma State Legislature

Seal of Oklahoma.svg.png
General information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   12 cumulative years in both chambers combined
Session start:   February 3, 2020
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:  
Matt Pinnell (R)
House Speaker:  Charles McCall (R)
Majority Leader:   Senate: Kim David (R)
House: Jon Echols (R)
Minority Leader:   Senate: Kay Floyd (D)
House: Emily Virgin (D)
Structure
Members:  48 (Senate), 101 (House)
Length of term:   4 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority:   Art V, Oklahoma Constitution
Salary:   $38,400/year + per diem
Elections
Last election:  November 6, 2018
Next election:  November 3, 2020
Redistricting:  Oklahoma Legislature has control

In 2020, the Oklahoma State Legislature was scheduled to convene on February 3 and adjourn on May 22.

Several state legislatures suspended their sessions or otherwise limited legislative activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Governor Kevin Stitt (R) called the Oklahoma State Legislature into a special session scheduled to convene on April 6, 2020. The legislature had previously suspended its session, effective March 23, 2020, through April 3, 2020. That suspension was originally scheduled to continue through March 27, 2020. On May 4, 2020, the legislature reconvened its regular session. It adjourned on May 22, 2020.[1][2][3][4]

Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority this legislative session, just as they did in 2019. Following the 2018 election, Republicans had a 39-9 supermajority in the Senate and a 76-25 supermajority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta.

At the beginning of the 2020 legislative session:
  • Republicans held a veto-proof supermajority in the Oklahoma state House and state Senate.
  • Oklahoma was one of 21 Republican state government trifectas.
  • Oklahoma’s governor was Republican Kevin Stitt.

    • Black.png Click the links to read more about the 2020 state Senate and state House elections.
    Black.png Click the links to read more about the 2018 state Senate and state House elections.

    Partisan control in 2020

    See also: State government trifectas

    Oklahoma was one of 21 Republican state government trifectas at the start of 2020 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.

    Oklahoma was also one of 22 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.

    The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Oklahoma State Legislature in the 2020 legislative session.

    Oklahoma State Senate

    Party As of January 2020
         Democratic Party 9
         Republican Party 38
         Vacancies 1
    Total 48

    Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Oklahoma State Senate shifted in favor of the Republican Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats maintained a 37-11 majority. Control of the chamber flipped in 2008, when Republicans achieved a 26-22 majority. The table below shows the partisan history of the Oklahoma State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2018. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Oklahoma State Senate election results: 1992-2018

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18
    Democrats 37 35 33 33 30 28 26 24 22 16 12 8 6 9
    Republicans 11 13 15 15 18 20 22 24 26 32 36 40 42 39

    Between 1992 and 2016, there were no elections in which Democrats gained seats. In most elections during that time, Republicans shifted the partisan balance of the state Senate in their favor by two seats. Democrats lost their majority after the 2006 elections, when the chamber moved to a split 24-24 balance. Republicans gained two seats in 2008 and took control of the chamber. The most significant shift in favor of Republicans came as a result of the 2010 elections, when the GOP gained six seats. Democrats gained three seats in 2018.

    Oklahoma House of Representatives

    Party As of January 2020
         Democratic Party 23
         Republican Party 77
         Vacancies 1
    Total 101

    Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Oklahoma House of Representatives shifted in favor of the Republican Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats maintained a 69-32 majority. The chamber's partisan balance flipped in 2004, and Republicans have increased their majority in the house since that election, holding 76 seats after the 2018 election. The table below shows the partisan history of the Oklahoma House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2018. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Oklahoma House of Representatives election results: 1992-2018

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18
    Democrats 69 65 65 61 53 53 44 44 40 31 29 29 26 25
    Republicans 32 36 36 40 48 48 57 57 61 70 72 72 75 76

    The most significant movement in the partisan balance of the state House occurred as a result of the elections held in 2004 and 2010. Republicans gained nine seats in each of those elections, and the 2004 elections resulted in Republicans taking control of the chamber.

    Between 2010 and 2018, Republicans expanded their majority by 12 seats. The 2010 elections resulted in Republicans maintaining a 70-31 majority. After 2018, Republicans held a 76-25 majority.

    Leadership in 2020

    Oklahoma State Senate

    Oklahoma House of Representatives

    Regular session

    The following widget shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2020 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2020. This information is provided by BillTrack50.

    Standing legislative committees

    See also: Standing committee and List of committees in Oklahoma state government


    A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.

    At the beginning of the 2020 legislative session, there were 34 standing committees in Oklahoma's state government, including no joint legislative committees, 15 state Senate committees, and 19 state House committees.

    Senate committees


    House committees


    Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods by which the Oklahoma Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Section 1, Article V, and Article XXIV of the Oklahoma Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Oklahoma

    The Oklahoma Constitution provides three mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention. Oklahoma requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

    Initiative

    See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

    An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.

    In Oklahoma, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 15% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Oklahoma State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 51 votes in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and 24 votes in the Oklahoma State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

    Convention

    See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

    According to Section 2 of Article XXIV of the Oklahoma Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 20 years. Oklahoma is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question. However, the last time Oklahomans voted on such a question was in 1970.[5] According to the State Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse, "Since 1970, Oklahoma’s legislature has refused to follow its Constitution with regard to this provision. In 1994, it placed a referendum on the ballot to eliminate this requirement, but the people of Oklahoma defeated it. Since 1990, many bills have been introduced to implement this part of the Constitution but none has passed."[6]


    Historical partisan control

    The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Oklahoma.

    Oklahoma Party Control: 1992-2024
    Five years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

    See also

    Elections Oklahoma State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Oklahoma State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Fox News 23, "Oklahoma Legislature closes, coronavirus increases in state," March 20, 2020
    2. ↑ KOSU, "Oklahoma Capitol Remains Empty Of Legislators During COVID-19 Crisis," March 30, 2020
    3. ↑ The Oklahoman, "Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Legislature convenes," April 6, 2020
    4. ↑ McAlester News-Capital, "State Capitol to reopen to public on Monday," May 2, 2020
    5. ↑ Sooner Politics, "An Oklahoma Constitutional Convention Is Being Drawn Up", July 2, 2015
    6. ↑ State Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse, "Periodic Constitutional Convention Comparative Information"; retrieved January 4, 2016
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