Shannon Takes Speaker’s Reins!

Promises to ‘Push Back’ At The Federal Government

Says He’ll Pursue Pro-Business, Conservative Agenda

First Black To Serve as Leader Of State House

 

By JOHN W. SIMMS
Special to the Chronicle

 

The first Black to ever serve as speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives officially took the reins early last week, and pledged to pursue a pro-business and conservative agenda.
Speaker T.W. Shannon (Rep., Lawton) told members of the legislative chamber he will lead that he wants to show the rest of the country how they can create prosperity by following Oklahoma’s lead.
The speaker said he will also buck what he termed intrusion by the federal government, parroting some of the far right-wing, Tea Party language that has characterized Republican political campaigns.
“We live in a country with an out-of-control federal government that is bankrupt, financially and morally,” he declared.
“As a result, we have fewer freedoms, we pay more in taxes than we should,” he said, “and there is little hope of these things changing under our current president and this Congress.”
“So, let me say this,” the new speaker went on, “the state of Oklahoma will not be following the lead of Washington, D.C.  Not on my watch.”
“In fact, we will push back at every turn,” said the youngest speaker of the State House in Oklahoma’s 106-year history.  “We will fight every invasive regulation.  We will refuse each costly expansion.”
Speaker Shannon is 34.
Gov. Mary Fallin, a Republican, who arranged to be out of state when President Barack Obama made a visit to the state last year, has taken stances against the federal government.
The governor refused to take $54 million in federal funds to help establish a Medicaid framework to accommodate the Affordable Health Care Act, but that refusal may turn out to have been made with some costs to Oklahomans.
The first Black to serve as speaker of the State House also took a potshot at the first Black to be elected president.
While giving his address on Jan. 8, Speaker Shannon had been talking about how to balance the budget when he took that President Barack Obama.
“Mr. President,” Speaker Shannon said, “if you’re listening, I’ll give you a hint:  the key is controlling spending, not raising taxes.” 
The speaker came to win his position after far right-wing conservatives in the State House, upset that then-Speaker Kris Steele (Rep., Shawnee), a moderate conservative, had blocked many of their “social agenda” proposals, recruited Rep. Shannon to run against Mr. Steele’s pick to succeed him in the post.
At one point during his address last week, Speaker Shannon seemed to be saying to Democrats and to more-moderate-than-he-is-Republicans that he will work with them and reach out to them.
“You will find that I am bold in expressing my vision and dream,” the speaker said.  “I will not bend from my determination and pri9nciples, but I also believe that this State House should not be governed by division.”
“We won’t always agree on every issue,” he said, “but I hope we can all agree on this:  We are each made in the image of God.
“As your speaker, I pledge to always treat you….with dignity and respect, no matter who you are or which party you belong to.”
The State House now has 72 Republicans and 29 Democrats.
Democrats nominated Minority Leader Scott Inman (Dem., Del City) for the speaker’s post.
State Rep. Shannon won with a party-line vote of 69-28.
That means that none of the other Black State House members (all three of whom are Democrats) voted for the new speaker.
“I count you as a competitor and as a friend,” Speaker Shannon said to the minority leader during his address last week, “not as an enemy.”
Minority Leader Inman said he hoped Speaker Shannon would be able to rein-in the fringe elements of the Republican caucus and focus on policies that are best for the state.