Constitution of Oklahoma

The movement to secure statehood for Indian Territory began in 1902 with a convention in Eufaula, consisting of representatives of the "Five Civilized Tribes".

[3] General Pleasant Porter, Principal Chief of the Creek Nation, was selected as president of the convention.

The elected delegates decided that the executive officers of the Five Civilized Tribes would also be appointed as vice-presidents: William Charles Rogers, Principal Chief of the Cherokees; William H. Murray, appointed by Chickasaw Governor Douglas H. Johnston to represent the Chickasaws; Chief Green McCurtain of the Choctaws; Chief John Brown of the Seminoles; and Charles N. Haskell, selected to represent the Creeks (as General Porter had been elected President).

The convention drafted a constitution, drew up a plan of organization for the government, put together a map showing the counties to be established, and elected delegates to go to the United States Congress to petition for statehood.

The convention's proposals were then put to a referendum in Indian Territory, in which they were overwhelmingly endorsed.

William Jennings Bryan came to encourage the delegates to write, "the very best constitution ever written."

[d] Bryan proposed that they accomplish this by consulting previously written state constitutions.

There were two additional week-long sessions called to finish the draft before it was put before the voters on September 17, 1907.

Satisfied with the proposed document, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the necessary papers November 16, 1907, and announced, "Oklahoma is now a state.

The right of a citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, or property, or in aid of the civil power, when thereunto legally summoned, shall never be prohibited; but nothing herein contained shall prevent the Legislature from regulating the carrying of weapons.

Article Four established the Government of Oklahoma under the doctrine of separation of powers and reads: Article Five establishes the legislative branch of government, Oklahoma Legislature, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The article establishes the manner of election and qualifications of members of each House, and includes a unique term limits provision in Section 17A: no member can serve more than 12 years total in the legislature, whether in one chamber or in both chambers.