A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission, to continue until December 31, 2022. Whenever the terms "Ethics and Merit Commission" or "Special Counsel of the Ethics and Merit Commission" appear in the Oklahoma Statutes, they shall mean the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission or the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission as may be appropriate to the context in which they appear. The Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission shall consist of nine (9) members who shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years. The members shall be removable only for cause, as provided by law for the removal of officers not subject to impeachment. Two members of the Commission shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Two members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Five members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Governor. No more than four of the appointments made by the Governor shall be from the same political party. Of the initial appointments made to the Commission, one member appointed by the President Pro Tempore, one member appointed by the Speaker and one member appointed by the Governor shall be for a term of three (3) years; and one member appointed by the President Pro Tempore, one member appointed by the Speaker and one member appointed by the Governor shall be for a term of two (2) years. The remaining three initial appointments by the Governor shall be designated to serve a term of one (1) year. At the expiration of the initial term, each new appointee shall serve a three-year term. All initial appointments shall be made prior to July 1, 1982.
B. Members of the Commission shall be entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in the State Travel Reimbursement Act.
C. The Commission shall elect a chairman to serve a two-year term and such other officers as deemed necessary for the performance of their duties. The Commission shall hold regular meetings not less than once a month and such additional meetings as called by the chairman as may be required for the proper discharge of its duties.
Added by Laws 1982, c. 338, § 22, emerg. eff. June 2, 1982. Amended by Laws 1985, c. 178, § 72, operative July 1, 1985; Laws 1986, c. 158, § 10, operative July 1, 1986. Renumbered from § 841.1 of this title by Laws 1994, c. 242, § 54. Amended by Laws 2021, c. 206, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2022.