Recently the House Republican Caucus elected me to serve as the next Speaker Pro-Tempore in the House of Representatives.

Like the Speaker of the House, the Speaker Pro-Tem is elected by the entire body of the House, so I am Speaker Pro-Tem-elect until the vote is made official by the full House on Organizational Day, Jan. 5.

I am humbled and honored to have been selected by my fellow elected legislators as Speaker Pro-Tem. We have some great challenges ahead in this session, but some equally great opportunities.  If we all work together, we can continue to make Oklahoma a great place to work and live.

I replace State Rep. Harold Wright, R-Weatherford, who served in this position with distinction for a number of years. It is an honor to be entrusted with such a high role by my many peers in the House Republican Caucus. As we hold a super majority of 82 seats out of 101 in the House of Representatives, I anticipate this position being made official on Organizational Day.

As speaker pro-tem, I will be made an ex-officio voting member of all standing committees and may be called upon to break tie votes. I also would stand in as speaker should the House speaker ever choose to vacate his position.

One of the roles of the speaker pro-tem is to ensure the House follows the rules adopted for each Legislature. The pro-tem also helps members keep the decorum of the House. I’m looking forward to this new leadership role in the House, and again I’m grateful to my fellow representatives for placing their confidence in me for this duty.