Rep. Chris Benge (R-Tulsa), former chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, was today elected as the speaker-designate by his peers in the GOP caucus.
“We have much to do and today marks a return to policy debates and discussions here at the Capitol. Instead of throwing stones and pointing fingers, we must move past the partisan bickering that often takes hold here at the Capitol, especially in elections years.”
OPEA’s lobbying team feels Benge will work well with the association.
“Last year, Representative Benge authored our HB 1114, the educational loan bill,” said OPEA executive director Sterling Zearley. “He has many state employees in his district and we are always welcome in his office when we lobby for state employee issues.”
Also to be noted is that, as the full house voted for the Speaker, Minority Leader Danny Morgan (D-Prague) withdrew his candidacy and, in the spirit of bipartisanship, held out his hand across the aisle.
“This is a very good sign for a productive, bipartisan legislature,” Zearley said.
