Draft:Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature

Structure of OIL
This model legislature convenes in the Oklahoma State Capitol for five days, typically in November and April. It consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives, a Supreme Court, an Executive Branch, and a Press Corps.

The Senate consists of up to six (6) students from each participating college and university, and the House of Representatives consists of at least six (6) students from each participating college and university, with each school being given an additional two (2) seats for every 1,000 students enrolled at that college or university.

The Supreme Court consists of up to nine (9) justices, being led by the Chief Justice. To be a justice on the Supreme Court, they must have competed as an attorney in the Moot Court Competition, be appointed by the Governor, and confirmed by the Senate. Similarly to the actual Supreme Court of Oklahoma, each student justice must be voted on to be retained as a justice in a general election, in which every participating student in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature has the opportunity to vote. The Supreme Court also consists of students who serve as Attorneys, where they compete in a Moot Court Competition.

The Press Corps consists of students who serve as members of the media, competing in press corps competition. It is led by the Press Secretary. The Press Corps competition consists of each student reporter conducting interviews both on and off camera, writing articles, and doing general reporting on the events that occur during each legislative session.

The Executive Branch consists of a Governor and Lieutenant Governor, who are elected during each Spring Session and serve until the adjournment Sine Die of the following Spring Session. The Executive Branch also contains a gubernatorially appointed cabinet consisting of an Attorney General, Secretary of State, Press Secretary, and Directors of Technology, Budget and Finance, Fundraising, Recruitment, Retention, Diversity and Inclusion, and other positions that may be created by either the Governor or by the Legislature.

During each Spring Legislative Session, officers are elected and appointed to serve on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee, which governs the organization for the following year.

Board of Directors & Steering Committee
The five-member Board of Directors and eleven-member Steering Committee manages OIL through the year and makes all logistical plans concerning each legislative session. Officers are ambassadors for OIL, which means they frequently call on other campuses, university administrators and state officials. Officers’ duties and responsibilities are enumerated in both the Constitution and the Statutes of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature.

The Board of Directors consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The Steering Committee consists of all the members of the Board of Directors, along with the Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives, Deputy President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Vice Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and the Press Secretary.

The current officers were elected/or appointed at the 2nd Session of the 54th Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature to serve a one-year term. The current officers are:

Support Officers
In addition to the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee, various other officers are appointed to help execute the management of the different components of OIL. Each legislative chamber elects several of their own officers, along with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate appointing several as well. Some of these officers include a Chief Clerk, Secretary, Floor Leader, Committee Chairs & Vice Chairs, etc.. The Supreme Court appoints and Bailiff and Court Clerk, and the Governor is assisted by an appointed Chief of Staff and Cabinet, who advise them on bills and convey the Governor's wishes to Senators and Representatives, along with running day to day operations of OIL outside of each legislative session.

OIL Governors: Past & Present
The Governors of OIL and the schools they represented are listed below. The incumbent governor is Evan Shaw, and is indicated below in bold.