I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year! First and foremost, I am thankful and honored that the constituents of House District 31 have entrusted me with the responsibility of serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for the next two years!
On Nov. 16, I arrived in Oklahoma City to take the oath of office with my fellow House members. Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Darby administered the oath.
My wife, Hannah, and two children, Eleanor and Aaron, attended the swearing-in ceremony. This was very moving as Eleanor joined me on the House Floor as I took the oath of office. I am thankful for the continued support from my family as I serve my community in this role.
This year, the House has 81 Republicans and 20 Democrats, and I am one of 16 new members. I look forward to working with my fellow legislators this upcoming session to accomplish great things for the state of Oklahoma!
On Tuesday, Jan. 3, I returned to Oklahoma City for Organizational Day, when the House and Senate members are formally seated and officially elect leadership for the next two years. Members also adopted House rules to govern how we conduct business in our chamber for the next two sessions of the Legislature.
I was honored to have been chosen to serve on the House Rules Working Group, where I was tasked to review the House Rules of the 58 Legislature and contemplate rules for the 59 Legislature.
We elected Rep. Charles McCall, R-Atoka, as the Speaker of the House for his fourth term, extending his run as the longest-serving speaker in state history. We also elected Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, as the Speaker of the House Pro Tempore for his first full term.
Currently, members are working with legal staff to draft substantive language for each piece of legislation, which must be formally filed by Jan. 19.
House members will spend the month of January hearing from the heads of Oklahoma’s 10 biggest state agencies. These meetings are in preparation for budget negotiations during session. Agency heads will present their requested budgets and explain their reasoning for budget increases, and legislators can question how they have spent their budget in years past. These meetings are open to the public and are live-streamed on the House website.
The first day of session is Feb. 6.
Again, thank you for electing me to represent House District 31. I am looking forward to a great session!
It is truly an honor and privilege to represent you at the State Capitol. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at 405-557-7350 or [email protected].
Rep. Collin Duel, a Republican, serves District 31 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Logan and Oklahoma Counties.
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