New lawmakers to take office, begin bill filing mid-November
Author :  Shawn Ashley 
Date :  09/10/2008

(OK) Lawmakers elected this year will take officially their offices two weeks after the general election and will be able to hit the ground running as bill filing gets underway immediately.

Members of the 52nd Legislature will gather at the Capitol Nov. 18, two weeks after the general election, to be sworn into office. Ceremonies are planned in the Senate for 11 a.m. and in the House at 1 p.m.

Senate members may begin pre-filing bills in advance of the legislative session on Nov. 15. That date falls on a Saturday, so the first bills are not expected to be pre-filed until Monday, Nov. 17, said Senate Chief of Staff Tom Walls. House members must wait until after the swearing-in ceremony to begin pre-filing legislation. Pre-filing begins for House members on Nov. 19.