(Oklahoma City, Okla.) Cushing’s own, Rep. Lee Denney, gave her acceptance speech to a crowd of her fellow legislators, friends and family on Tuesday after being elected as Speaker Pro Tempore. Her mother Betty Roberts and her daughter Kate Kupiec, along with three of her close friends, Debbie Cochran, Marilyn Duff and Karen Stewart, were there for her special moment at the Capitol.
Rep. Denney expressed her appreciation of having a “gold standard” mother and daughter and the fact they were able to be with her.”I’m so grateful to still have her with me,” Denney said of her 91 -year-old mother. “Her faith in me has never waivered.” Denney also announced her daughter “in short order” will be making her a grandmother.
Denney continued by thanking her constituents in District 33, saying, “Thank you so much for your continued support and confidence in me to serve as your state representative. It is an honor beyond measure.”
As Speaker Pro Tempore, Denney will be “second-in-command” and will step in to fulfill the duties of Speaker of the House Jeff Hickman, R-Fairview, when other duties call him away.
Denney said it is her intention to bring to the position “a style of collaborative leadership that will encourage membership to be problem identifiers as well as problem solvers.”
This is Denney’s last term as Representative for District 33. Legislative session will reconvene on February 2, 2015.
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