Oklahoma House speaker-elect hopes to keep GOP members focused

“A big part of my job is to help keep our caucus and this body focused on our agenda,” said Speaker-elect Kris Steele, R-Shawnee. “With a four-month session, it's important that we may remain focused on those agenda items.”

Steele, and other Republican leaders are increasingly favoring priorities shared by several in the state business community who would prefer Oklahoma be in the national spotlight for economic reasons rather than legislators squabbling over immigration, weapons or social issues.

Steele calls economic development a big-ticket item this year.

“We're going to be focused on doing all that we can to create an environment in our state that is conducive to job growth, job creation, job enhancement,” Steele said. “We've got some good momentum, and we want to build on that and make sure we reach our potential in that regard.”

In keeping with that tune, Steele said key topics next year will be changes in the workers' compensation system, lawsuit reform and reforming the state tax structure.

House Republicans, who are enjoying their strongest majority in state history, will develop their agenda items during a retreat Dec. 6-7 in Bartlesville.

Since gaining control of the Legislature, Republicans have overturned gubernatorial vetoes of Republican-sponsored bills making English the state's official language and banning Islamic Sharia law from being considered in state courts. The bills created state questions approved by voters this month that quickly received national media coverage following legal challenges claiming they are unconstitutional and discriminatory.

Republican-sponsored state immigration laws passed in 2007 drew national attention for many of the same reasons.

Comments condemning homosexuals by a Republican legislator and a failed bill that would've exempted almost any firearm made in Oklahoma from federal gun laws also have drawn mostly negative national attention.

Steele said many business groups in the past have opposed such hot-button issues.

“Where it negatively impacts business, we will speak up,” said Fred Morgan, president of The State Chamber. “We'll try to educate legislators on how something that while well intended might have some negative consequences to the business climate.”

Morgan, a former legislator, said Oklahoma is in a good position to improve its economy.