President Pro-Tem Coffee Names Senate Committee Vice-Chairs

Senate President Pro Tem Designate Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, named the Senate’s new committee Vice-Chairs on Wednesday. Committee chairs were announced last week.

Under the new committee structure, which was reduced last week from 22 full committees and standing subcommittees to 20, fifteen Republican Senators and five Democrats will assume leadership roles in their respective committees in the 2009-10 legislative session.

“I’m very excited by the energy and expertise represented in this bipartisan list of committee and subcommittee vice-chairs,” said Coffee. “Our state will benefit greatly by the very capable leadership these members of both parties will bring to their new roles over the next two years.”

The State Senate’s committees and committee vice-chairs for the 2009-10 session are:

Agriculture Committee: Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus

Appropriations Committee: Sen. David Myers, R-Ponca City

Business and Labor Committee: Sen. Dan Newberry, R-Tulsa

Education Committee: Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond

Energy and Environment Committee: Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso

Finance Committee: Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa

General Government Committee: Sen. Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee

Health and Human Resources Committee: Sen. Sean Burrage, D-Claremore

Judiciary Committee: Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada

Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee: Sen. Steve Russell, R-Oklahoma City

Retirement and Insurance Committee: Sen. Cliff Aldridge, R-Midwest City

Rules Committee: Sen. Earl Garrison, D-Muskogee

Tourism and Wildlife Committee: Sen. Jerry Ellis, D-Valliant

Transportation Committee: Sen. Bryce Marlatt, R-Woodward

Veterans and Military Affairs Committee: Sen. Don Barrington, R-Lawton

Appropriations Subcommittee on Education: Sen. John Ford, R-Bartlesville

Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government: Sen. Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa

Appropriations Subcomm. on Health & Human Services: Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid

Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources: Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha

Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety: Sen. Jim Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City

For the first time in the state’s history, Republicans have the majority in the Oklahoma State Senate. Senate Republicans picked up two seats on Election Day to win a 26 to 22 majority.