State House, Senate elect leaders

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Members of the Oklahoma House and Senate have elected Rep. Jeff Hickman of Fairview and Sen. Brian Bingman of Sapulpa as their respective leaders for the new legislative session.

Both chambers convened at noon Tuesday for an organizational day that the Oklahoma Constitution requires before the start of each new two-year session. In addition to electing leaders to various posts, the Senate also approved new rules that make it easier to introduce a bill.

In remarks each leader made after his election, both Hickman and Bingman cautioned their fellow members that the new session will come with challenges, especially with respect to the budget. Although final revenue figures haven’t been certified, lawmakers are expected to have far less revenue to appropriate this year.