Oklahoma Senate to reconvene for special session and caucus meeting July. What's on the agenda?

M. Scott Carter, The Oklahoman
·2 min read
Finding a successor to Senate leader Greg Treat, R-OKC, will be on agenda for Republicans as senators gather next month to consider the nomination of Jennifer Callahan to the OSU Board of Regents.
Finding a successor to Senate leader Greg Treat, R-OKC, will be on agenda for Republicans as senators gather next month to consider the nomination of Jennifer Callahan to the OSU Board of Regents.
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The Oklahoma Senate will reconvene a special session called earlier this year to review the governor's nominee for the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents, Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat said this week.

The Senate's Republican Caucus also will meet that same day to pick a new leader.

Treat said the Senate Education Committee would meet at 10 a.m. July 15 to hear the nomination of Jennifer Callahan to the OSU Board of Regents. After the floor vote on Callahan's nomination, Treat said the Senate's GOP caucus would have an internal meeting to vote for the position of pro tempore designee.

Callahan is the governor's third nominee for the post. Previously Stitt had nominated former OSU athletic director and golf coach Mike Holder to fill a vacancy on the board, which oversees OSU and four other state schools. But Senate leaders raised questions about Holder's board qualifications. Gubernatorial nominees cannot be confirmed without the Senate's approval.

More: Raises for judges, money for sheriff's department among bills signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt

Stitt had called the Senate into special session to consider Holder's nomination, but then withdrew the nomination and amended his special session order to ask lawmakers to confirm Callahan instead.

Callahan is an attorney and board director for Oklahoma City-based McAfee and Taft, a law firm, for which she co-chairs the firm’s agriculture and equine industry group. She is also the widow of Jarold Callahan, who served as a regent on the OSU/A&M board until his unexpected death in December.

Treat, the Senate's current leader, is being forced to retire due to term limits.

The Senate's Republican Caucus — which controls 40 of the Senate's 48 seats — had initially selected Ada Republican Sen. Greg McCortney as its new leader. However, McCortney's defeat in the June 18 primary election threw the leadership post open.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate to hold special session to consider Stitt nomination