The Oklahoman

Who will be the leaders this session?

- Capitol Bureau ddenwalt@oklahoman.com BY DALE DENWALT

Gov. Mary Fallin

Fallin gives her final State of the State speech Monday, outlining her priorities for session and how she thinks state agencies should be funded. While she cannot introduce legislatio­n, she does have political and veto power, which was on display during special session.

House Speaker Charles McCall

The Speaker of the House sets the agenda for House members, but he may not have enough votes to pass tax increases, whether it's the Democrats or a conservati­ve bloc of GOP members.

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz

The Senate has been more leery of raising taxes than the House under Schulz's leadership. On Monday, Schulz is expected to outline his priorities for the 2018 session.

House Democratic Leader Steve Kouplen

Kouplen took the reins after state Rep. Scott Inman stepped down. He's been less vocal than his predecesso­r, but his caucus still wields considerab­le control over revenue discussion­s.

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks

Sparks is well-respected among his GOP colleagues in the Senate, where his caucus is too small to affect the revenue debate in the same way that House Democrats are. However, he remains at the table during budget discussion­s.

Lawmakers can be reached by email or phone. Their contact informatio­n can be found through the House and Senate websites: www.okhouse.gov www.oksenate.gov

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