# 37th Oklahoma Legislature

The Thirty-seventh Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Oklahoma City from January 2 to July 2, 1979, from January 8 to June 16, 1980, and from July 7 to 11, 1980, during the term of Governor George Nigh.
The 1980 session was marked by the elimination of the Legislative Council, the Nursing Reform Act and the implementation of teacher testing and professional development.
Lieutenant Governor Spencer Bernard served as the President of the Senate. Gene C. Howard served as the President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate and Daniel Draper served as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Frank Keating served as the leader of the state senate Republican caucus and Neal McCaleb served as the leader of the Republican caucus in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

## Dates of sessions

* First regular session: January 2-July 2, 1979
* Second regular session: January 8-June 16, 1980
* Special session: July 7–11, 1980
Previous: 36th Legislature • Next: 38th Legislature

## Party composition
### Senate

| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total |
| Affiliation | Democratic | Republican | Total |
| | 37 | 11 | 48 |
| Voting share | 77.1% | 22.9% | |

### House of Representatives

| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total |
| Affiliation | Democratic | Republican | Total |
| | 79 | 24 | 101 |
| Voting share | 78.2% | 21.8% | |

## Major legislation
### Enacted

* Education reform - House Bill 1706 in 1980 addressed teacher education, certification and professional development.
* Nursing Reform Act
* Abolishment of Legislative Council

## Leadership
### Democratic

In Oklahoma, the lieutenant governor serves as President of the Oklahoma Senate, and presides over the chamber and breaks tie votes. Lieutenant Governor Spencer Bernard served in the role in the 37th Oklahoma Legislature. Gene C. Howard served as President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, who is the Senate leader elected by state senators. Daniel Draper served as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Mike Murphy served as the Speaker Pro Tempore.

### Republican

Frank Keating served as the Republican Minority leader of the Oklahoma Senate. Representative Neal McCaleb served as the Republican Minority leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

## Members
### Senate

| District | Name | Party | Towns Represented |
| Lt-Gov | Spencer Bernard | Dem | President of Senate |
| 1 | William Schuelein | Dem | Grove, Jay, Miami |
| 2 | Bill Crutcher | Dem | Claremore, Pryor |
| 3 | Herb Rozell | Dem | Stilwell, Tahlequah |
| 4 | Joe Johnson | Dem | Poteau, Sallisaw |
| 5 | Jim Lane | Dem | Atoka, Hugo |
| 6 | Roy Boatner | Dem | Durant |
| 7 | Gene Stipe | Dem | McAlester, Wilburton |
| 8 | Robert Miller | Dem | Okmulgee, Henryetta |
| 9 | John Luton | Dem | Muskogee |
| 10 | John Dahl | Dem | Pawhuska, Fairfax |
| 12 | John Young | Dem | Sapulpa |
| 13 | James W. McDaniel | Dem | Ada, Atwood |
| 14 | Ernest Martin | Dem | Ardmore |
| 15 | Charles Vann | Dem | Norman |
| 16 | Lee Cate | Dem | Norman, Purcell, Lexington |
| 17 | John Clifton | Dem | Shawnee |
| 19 | Norman Lamb | Rep | Enid |
| 20 | Don Nickles | Rep | Ponca City, Tonkawa |
| 21 | Robert Murphy | Dem | Stillwater |
| 22 | Gideon Tinsley | Rep | Kingfisher |
| 23 | Ray Giles | Dem | Chickasha, Hinton |
| 24 | Kenneth Landis | Dem | Duncan, Kellyville, Moore |
| 25 | Herschal Crow | Dem | Moore, Duncan, Kellyville |
| 26 | Gilmer Capps | Dem | Elk City, Sayre, Mangum |
| 27 | Ed Berrong | Dem | Weatherford |
| 29 | Jerry Pierce | Rep | Bartlesville |
| 31 | Paul Taliaferro | Dem | Lawton |
| 32 | Al Terrill | Dem | Lawton |
| 33 | Rodger Randle | Dem | Tulsa |
| 34 | Robert V. Cullison | Dem | Tulsa |
| 35 | Warren Green | Rep | Tulsa |
| 36 | Gene C. Howard | Dem | Tulsa |
| 37 | Finis Smith | Dem | Tulsa |
| 38 | Frank Keating | Rep | Tulsa |
| 39 | Stephen Wolfe | Rep | Tulsa |
| 40 | Mike Combs | Rep | Oklahoma City |
| 41 | Phil Watson | Rep | Edmond |
| 42 | James Howell | Dem | Midwest City |
| 43 | Don Kilpatrick | Dem | Del City, Oklahoma City |
| 44 | Marvin York | Dem | Oklahoma City |
| 45 | Jimmy Birdsong | Dem | Moore, Oklahoma City |
| 46 | Bernest Cain | Dem | Oklahoma City |
| 47 | John R. McCune | Rep | Oklahoma City |
| 48 | E. Melvin Porter | Dem | Oklahoma City |
| 49 | Leon B. Field | Dem | Guymon |
| 50 | Jeff Johnston | Dem | Seminole |
| 52 | E. W. Keller | Rep | Bethany, Oklahoma City |
| 54 | Don Cummins | Dem | Tulsa |
Table based on 2005 state almanac.

### House of Representatives

| Name | District | Party | Counties |
| Mike Murphy | 1 | Dem | McCurtain |
| Don Mentzer | 2 | Dem | Adair, Sequoyah |
| Mick Thompson | 3 | Dem | Leflore, McCurtain |
| William Willis | 4 | Dem | Cherokee |
| Wiley Sparkman | 5 | Dem | Adair, Delaware |
| George Vaughn | 6 | Dem | Craig, Mayes, Nowata, Rogers |
| Joe Fitzgibbon | 7 | Dem | Ottawa |
| J. D. Whorton | 8 | Rep | Mayes, Rogers, Wagoner |
| Stratton Taylor | 9 | Dem | Nowata, Rogers |
| A.C. Holden | 10 | Dem | Osage, Washington |
| Robert Kane | 11 | Rep | Nowata, Washington |
| Bill Lancaster | 12 | Dem | Muskogee, Wagoner |
| Jim Barker | 13 | Dem | Muskogee |
| John Monks | 14 | Dem | Muskogee |
| Charles Peterson | 15 | Dem | Haskell, McIntosh, Muskogee |
| Frank Shurden | 16 | Dem | Okmulgee |
| Red Caldwell | 17 | Dem | Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, Pittsburg |
| Frank Harbin | 18 | Dem | Pittsburg |
| Gary Sherrer | 19 | Dem | Choctaw, McCurtain, Pushmataha |
| Bob Trent | 20 | Dem | Atoka, Johnston, Pittsburg |
| Guy Gaylon Davis | 21 | Dem | Bryan |
| Jack F. Kelly | 22 | Dem | Atoka, Coal, Johnston, Murray, Pontotoc |
| Harold Monlux | 23 | Dem | Tulsa, Wagoner |
| Bill Robinson | 24 | Dem | Hughes, Okfuskee, Okmulgee |
| Lonnie Abbott | 25 | Dem | Pontotoc |
| Robert Henry | 26 | Dem | Pottawatomie |
| James Townsend | 27 | Dem | Cleveland, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie |
| Ron Sheppard | 28 | Dem | Seminole |
| Oval Cunningham | 29 | Dem | Creek |
| Benny Vanatta | 30 | Dem | Creek |
| Frank Davis | 31 | Rep | Logan, Noble |
| Charlie Morgan | 32 | Dem | Lincoln, Logan |
| Joe Manning | 33 | Dem | Payne |
| Daniel Draper | 34 | Dem | Payne |
| Don Johnson | 35 | Dem | Creek, Kay, Noble, Osage, Pawnee |
| Billy Kennedy | 36 | Dem | Kay, Osage |
| James Holt | 37 | Rep | Kay |
| Robert Milacek | 38 | Rep | Alfalfa, Grant, Kay |
| Steven Boeckman | 39 | Rep | Alfalfa, Blaine, Garfield, Kingfisher, Major |
| Homer Rieger | 40 | Rep | Garfield |
| Robert Anderson | 41 | Rep | Garfield |
| Tom Stephenson | 42 | Dem | Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Kingfisher |
| Donald Feddersen | 43 | Dem | Canadian |
| Cleta Deatherage | 44 | Dem | Cleveland |
| Cal Hobson | 45 | Dem | Cleveland |
| Charles Elder | 46 | Dem | Cleveland, McClain |
| Denver Talley | 47 | Dem | Grady |
| A Don Duke | 48 | Dem | Carter |
| Bill Bradley | 49 | Dem | Carter, Love, Marshall |
| Bob Wilson | 50 | Dem | Stephens |
| Vernon Dunn | 51 | Dem | Cotton, Jefferson, Stephens |
| Howard Cotner | 52 | Dem | Jackson |
| Bob Harper | 53 | Dem | Comanche, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, Tillman |
| Helen Cole | 54 | Rep | Cleveland |
| Harvey Weichel | 55 | Dem | Caddo, Kiowa, Washita |
| Tom Manar | 56 | Dem | Caddo, Comanche, Grady |
| Wayne Winn | 57 | Dem | Beckham, Custer |
| Lewis Kamas | 58 | Rep | Woods, Woodward |
| Rollin D. Reimer | 59 | Dem | Blaine, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Roger Mills, Woodward |
| Willie Rogers | 60 | Dem | Beckham, Greer, Harmon |
| Walter Hill | 61 | Rep | Beaver, Cimarron, Texas |
| Don Davis | 62 | Dem | Comanche |
| Marvin Baughman | 63 | Dem | Comanche, Tillman |
| Butch Hooper | 64 | Dem | Comanche |
| Jim Glover | 65 | Dem | Comanche |
| David Riggs | 66 | Dem | Tulsa |
| Joan Hastings | 67 | Rep | Tulsa |
| Robert Hopkins | 68 | Dem | Tulsa |
| William Wiseman | 69 | Rep | Tulsa |
| Paul Brunton | 70 | Rep | Tulsa |
| Helen Arnold | 71 | Rep | Tulsa |
| Don McCorkle Jr. | 72 | Dem | Tulsa |
| Bernard McIntyre | 73 | Dem | Tulsa |
| Rodney Hargrave | 74 | Dem | Tulsa |
| Alene Baker | 75 | Dem | Rogers, Tulsa |
| James Allen Williamson | 76 | Rep | Tulsa |
| William Poulos | 77 | Dem | Tulsa |
| Charles Cleveland | 78 | Dem | Tulsa |
| Ted Cowan | 79 | Rep | Tulsa |
| Charles Ford | 80 | Rep | Tulsa |
| Neal McCaleb | 81 | Rep | Oklahoma |
| Bill Holaday | 82 | Rep | Oklahoma |
| Stanley Alexander | 83 | Rep | Oklahoma |
| Bill Graves | 84 | Rep | Oklahoma |
| George Camp | 85 | Rep | Oklahoma |
| Robert S. Kerr III | 86 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Sandy Sanders | 87 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Don Denman | 88 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| L. Bengston | 89 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Mike J. Lawter | 90 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Charles Gray | 91 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Jim Fried | 92 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Jerry Steward | 93 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Fred Joiner | 94 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| David Craighead | 95 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| James Briscoe | 96 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Hannah Atkins | 97 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Thomas Duckett | 98 | Dem | Canadian, Grady, Oklahoma |
| Visanio Johnson | 99 | Dem | Oklahoma |
| Mike Fair | 100 | Rep | Canadian, Oklahoma |
| Carl Twidwell Jr. | 101 | Dem | Oklahoma |
* Table based on government database.