BENGE ELECTED SPEAKER OF OKLAHOMA HOUSE!

by Steve Fair

Chris Benge won the Speaker's post after a runoff with Representative Dale Dewitt. Benge will be termed out in 2010. Who is Chris Benge? Below is his official bio from the State House Website. Benge is 45 years old- graduated from Daniel Webster High School in Tulsa in 1980 and went to OSU. He received a degree in Business from OSU. He was a sales rep for Cintas Corporation(a uniform company) for two years before he ran for State Representative in 1998. For 16 years before that he worked in his families painting business. Two good things- he isn't an attorney and he appears to come from a true blue-collar background. The painting business is hard word and not very sexy, so obviously Speaker Benge will identify more with small business than previous speakers.

PERSONAL:
Representative Chris Benge is a native Tulsan. He was born and raised in southwest Tulsa and currently resides in the community of Berryhill with his wife Allison and their two children, Garrett, age 13 and Hayden, age 11.
EDUCATION:
Graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Business.
ORGANIZATIONS:
Southwest Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Sand Springs Rotary Club, Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries, NCSL Budget and Revenue Committee, Grand River Dam Authority Task Force, Berryhill Drug Education Council, American Legislative Exchange Council, and View Acres Baptist Church (Southern Baptist Church).
LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
House of Representatives, 47th Legislature to present

Now it's time for the Oklahoma legislature to start doing the people's business. I'm optimistic concerning Benge's leadership. He certainly has an impressive resume, but his roots appear to be humble. Unless he breathed too much lacquer in the family business, the 2008 session should be a productive one. Good choice- Republicans!