Marlow rep Boles named chair for OK Energy Committee

Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow, has been named chair of the Oklahoma House Energy & Natural Resources Oversight Committee by Speaker-elect Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, for the 60th Legislature.

As head of an oversight committee, Boles is a member of the Speaker-Elect's Leadership team and will also serve on the Floor Leader team, which is responsible for numerous duties critical to the legislative process, including assigning bills to committees, determining the order of bills, and deciding which bills will be considered on the floor of the House.

"I am honored to chair the Energy & Natural Resources Oversight Committee and really appreciate Speaker-Elect Hilbert for this appointment," Boles said. "Energy policy has been one of my primary focuses for several years, and I look forward to continuing work toward additional advancements in Oklahoma's energy industry, which is the largest industry in our state. This year also brings more responsibility with the oversight of the Agriculture, Utilities, Energy and the Wildlife committees, which are all vital to our state's economy and history. I am excited to represent the people of Oklahoma with this new leadership team and I am eager to find meaningful solutions that will benefit our great state."

Following the reorganization announced last month, House committees now have a two-tiered structure with committees and oversight committees, which will allow legislation to be more thoroughly deliberated at the committee level before bills reach the floor. Boles, who has served House District 51 since 2018, previously served as chair of the House Energy & Natural Resources Committee for four years.

Boles was named a member of the House Appropriations & Budget Committee, which holds major responsibility for shaping Oklahoma's state budget and making crucial decisions on state funding. He will also sit on the House Business & Commerce Committee, which focuses on policy affecting the state's business environment, as well as the County & Municipal Government Committee, where Boles will draw from his years of experience as mayor of Marlow.

Prior to his election to the House, Boles also held a seat on the Marlow Public School Board of Education. He also served as president of the Marlow Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He was president of his family’s manufacturing business for ten years, during which time the company grew from 100 employees to 500 employees. It was sold in 2018 to a publicly traded company. Today, Boles is an entrepreneur and employs over 100 people across his multiple small businesses in Stephens County.

The full House will officially convene for an organizational day on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, and the First Session of the 60th Legislature convenes on Monday, Feb. 3.