OKLAHOMA CITY -- Tulsa Republican Rep. Mark Liotta has announced his intention to seek election to the position of Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives in the 50th Oklahoma Legislature.
    

"After eight years in the House, and service as chairman of the Republican Caucus, I'm well prepared to handle the reins of the House when called upon to do so," the 41-year-old lawmaker said.
    

Traditionally, the Speaker Pro Tempore directs the House's daily business from the chair when the House is in session, freeing up the Speaker to focus on other legislative matters. Additionally, the Speaker Pro Tempore is an ex officio voting member of all standing House committees, "giving the position a strong voice in legislation," Liotta said.
    

The entire membership of the House will elect the Speaker and the Speaker Pro Tempore after the new Legislature convenes at noon Jan. 4, 2005. The Republican Caucus is expected to confirm Rep. Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville, as its nominee for Speaker when the caucus assembles Thursday at 2 p.m. in the State Capitol. 
    

No legislator from the Tulsa area has been elected Speaker Pro Tempore since 1941, Liotta related, and no Republican has been elected to the position since 1921, when the GOP last controlled the House of Representatives.
    

Commenting on his service as the caucus chairman, Liotta said, "The Republican Caucus represents a diverse set of interests and strong personalities, and I think they'll tell you that I've maintained order and finished business while ensuring full and fair discussion of difficult issues."
    

In addition to his current leadership position, Liotta was elected to two terms as Assistant Minority Floor Leader, and served as vice chairman of the House Insurance Committee in 2000-2002.
    

Liotta, a Tulsa native, has represented House District 77 in northeast Tulsa since defeating an incumbent in 1996. He filed unopposed earlier this year for a fifth consecutive two-year term. He  has four years of eligibility for service left before term limits force him out of office.
    

After graduating first in his class from the Oklahoma Military Academy Officer Candidate School, Liotta was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, serving from 1985 to 1992.
    

He is married and has five children, and holds a bachelor of science degree in human resources management, from Southern Nazarene University. Liotta worked 18 years for MESA Products, a Tulsa manufacturing and construction firm.
    

"As the father of a large family, a platoon leader and unit commander, and as a human resources manager, I've taken on leadership positions most of my adult life," Liotta continued.
    

"I look forward to continuing the work of Rep. Danny Hilliard, the current Pro Tempore, in his effort to rule with fairness, while helping implement some of the legislative process reforms that our caucus has been seeking."
    

The GOP captured control of the House of Representatives in Tuesday's general election, for the first time since the 8th Oklahoma Legislature in 1921-22. Largely because of constitutional term limits, the composition of the House has flipped, from 53 Democrats and 48 Republicans this year to 57 Republicans and 44 Democrats next year.