51st Oklahoma Legislature

The Fifty-first Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. State legislators met at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City from January 2, 2007 to January 3, 2009, during the first two years of the second term of Governor Brad Henry. A tie in the number of seats held by Republicans and Democrats in the Oklahoma Senate resulted in bipartisan leadership. Republicans held the majority of seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Dates of sessions

Republican Senator Nancy Riley switched to the Democratic Party in the summer of 2006.
Historic tie created in the number of seats held by Republicans and Democrats in the Oklahoma Senate.
Lance Cargill resigned as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Immigration- HB1804, the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007:
*restricted the ability of illegal immigrants to obtain government IDs or public assistance;
*gave police authority to check the immigration status of anyone arrested;
*made it a felony for U.S. citizens to knowingly provide shelter, transportation or employment to illegal immigrants.
Ethics - HB2196 prohibited lobbyists from making campaign contributions to state legislators during the legislative session.
Roads and bridges - HB2272 created a $300 million bond package for roads and bridge maintenance and repair.

Lawsuit reform - HB 2458 would have enacted lawsuit reforms, but was vetoed by Governor Brad Henry.