Coffee Names Committee Chairmen

State Senate President Pro Tempore Designate Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, announced Monday that he is reducing the number of Senate committees and subcommittees by two, from 22 to 20. Coffee also named the Senate’s new committee chairs.

Changes to the Senate’s committee structure include: The elimination of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. Combining two Appropriations subcommittees – Health and Social Services, and Human Services – into a single Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

“Streamlining the number of committees will help improve efficiency and make our committees more effective,” said Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

Nineteen Republican senators who each served as a committee co-chair the past two years will serve as chairmen in the GOP-controlled Senate. One new senator – former OSU president Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater – is being tapped to chair an Appropriations subcommittee.

Coffee plans to announce committee vice-chairs and other committee members within the next two weeks.

The Senate’s committees and committee chairs for the 2009 session are:

Appropriations Committee: Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher; Appropriations Subcommittee on Education: Sen. Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater; Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services: Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa; Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services: Sen. David Myers, R-Ponca City; Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation: Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso; Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary: Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore.

Finance Committee: Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa.

Education Committee: Sen. John Ford, R-Bartlesville.

Judiciary Committee: Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid.

Agriculture and Rural Development Committee: Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha .

Business and Labor Committee: Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole.

Energy and Environment Committee: Sen. Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa.

General Government Committee: Sen. Cliff Aldridge, R-Choctaw.

Health and Human Resources Committee: Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond.

Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee: Sen. Don Barrington, R-Lawton.

Retirement and Insurance Committee: Sen. Bill Brown, R-Broken Arrow.

Rules Committee: Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman.

Tourism and Wildlife Committee: Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus.

Transportation Committee: Sen. Cliff Branan, R-Oklahoma City.

Veterans and Military Affairs Committee: 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.

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