Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert

R

District 29

Hi, I’m Kyle Hilbert and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 29th District.


representative

Leadership

Speaker Pro Tempore

59th Legislature

Speaker Pro Tempore

58th Legislature

News & Announcements

Mar 4, 2024
Recent Posts

House Republicans Elect Hilbert Speaker-Designate

Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, has been elected by the Oklahoma House Republican Caucus as speaker-designate for the 60th Legislature. The speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the body’s chief presiding officer and is responsible for committee appointments, the flow of legislation and the management of the House budget and staff. The speaker also serves as an ex officio voting member on all House committees. "I appreciate my colleagues' trust and confidence as we take the first step to prepare for the 60th Legislature," said Hilbert, who has served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the House since 2022. "The speaker serves at the pleasure of the members, and I'm fortunate to be surrounded by people who want to tackle the hard problems. We have no shortage of challenges facing our state, and by working collaboratively with members from rural, suburban and urban Oklahoma, we can craft policies that make a lasting difference for our constituents." Hilbert, 29, would be the youngest House speaker in Oklahoma state history and only the second Republican speaker 30 years old or younger in any state since 1873. “Fresh ideas, courage, and vigor are what Oklahomans deserve from their leadership. People are frustrated with unresponsive politicians in Washington,” Hilbert said. “If we want to see Oklahoma continue to grow and flourish, I encourage more young, emerging leaders to engage in their communities and in their state. Oklahoma is the best place to raise a family, and I embrace this opportunity to fight for Oklahomans and their families.” In Hilbert's eight-year tenure in the House, he has carried over 40 bills into law. He served three years as vice chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, during which time he helped craft the annual state budget, funding education at record levels and sustaining essential functions of state government during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hilbert has tackled numerous policy challenges head-on. He authored the DRIVE Act, which brought the state's transportation funding into the 21st century, while simultaneously spearheading modernization of Oklahoma's ad valorem tax reimbursement system. Hilbert also led the charge to create and implement a transparent process for the distribution of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to targeted and transformational projects across the state. Additionally, Hilbert was the author of the Redbud School Funding Act, which directs a portion of revenue generated from marijuana taxes to school districts with below-average local property taxes, enabling them to address pressing infrastructure needs. This legislation also stopped countless lawsuits in their tracks as it settled longstanding questions of funding disparity amongst public schools. Current House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, congratulated Hilbert on the nomination. McCall is the longest-serving speaker in state history. "I would like to congratulate Speaker-Designate Hilbert on his election as the Republican Caucus' nominee for Speaker of the House," said McCall, who is term-limited. "Over the past eight years, I have gotten to know Hilbert and find him to be a member and individual of the highest caliber. The Chamber will be in good hands under his leadership, and I look forward to seeing the House build upon the strong foundation that has been laid over the past decade." "Under Speaker McCall's leadership, we've reached new heights of support for public education, our state budget is in better position than ever before, and we have decreased income tax burdens," Hilbert said. "He'll leave behind a remarkable legacy, and I hope to carry the torch and keep the conservative momentum going for the House and the state of Oklahoma." Under majority caucus rules, the speaker-designate for the upcoming Legislature is selected through a caucus election on the first Monday in March during election years. The 60th Legislature will be seated after November’s elections and convene for its first session in 2025. The entire body of the House will formally vote on its next speaker on organizational day for the 60th Oklahoma Legislature in early January 2025. Hilbert was elected in 2016 to represent House District 29, which contains portions of rural Creek and Tulsa counties. He holds a bachelor's degree in agribusiness from Oklahoma State University, where he also served as Student Government Association President. Hilbert and his wife, Alexis, have two daughters, Addison and Dorothy. The family lives in Bristow and are members of Foundation Church in Sapulpa.

Feb 20, 2024
Recent Posts

Hilbert Passes State Agency Callback Bill through House

Legislation requiring certain state agencies to implement a callback system in a push to provide improved customer service has passed the Oklahoma House. Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said he authored House Bill 3285 after overhearing a mom at his daughter's dance class complaining that she had been on hold with a state agency for over an hour for the second time that week. "People dread wading through the slog of their state government, and for good reason," Hilbert said. "We are wasting countless hours of Oklahomans’ lives by forcing them to wait on hold for hours on end to receive basic customer service. The very least we can do is provide a callback system to better serve our constituents. When Oklahomans want to talk to a person instead of a computer, they should be able to do so.” The bill exempts state agencies with under 500 employees but applies to agencies that use toll-free numbers. HB3285 passed the House 86-0 and now moves to the Senate, where it is authored by Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore.

Oct 17, 2023
Recent Posts

Study Assesses Capital Needs of Regional Colleges, Universities

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma House of Representatives Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, today held an interim study assessing the capital needs of the Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO) as well as for rural colleges and universities. IS23-077 was held before the House Higher Education & CareerTech Committee. "Our network of regional and rural colleges and universities serves thousands of students each year, preparing them for a diverse array of careers," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "Having access to these schools benefits these individuals in innumerable ways. This also benefits the communities where these students live and work. When we have a more educated workforce, we attract more businesses and more jobs, which in turn strengthens local economies and our entire state. This study helped us better assess how the Legislature can support these schools in their missions, knowing that an investment in education is an investment in a stronger, better Oklahoma." Mark Tygret, vice chancellor of budget and finance at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, presented a history of legislative investment in capital needs and deferred maintenance for rural and urban two- and four-year colleges. He explained the master lease program as an example of helping schools take care of their building and maintenance projects. The program is a huge asset in making campus more functional and more efficient and making for a better experience for all who enter – from students to staff. Tygret suggested a structure similar to what has worked to improve transportation in the state could benefit regional and rural higher education institutions as well. He also mentioned the Legislature's new Legacy Capital Fund, which makes use of available state capital to meet agency needs instead of requiring them to secure bonds at market interest rates. Former Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, now president of the University of Central Oklahoma, spoke about RUSO's commitment to affordability and accessibility. RUSO colleges and universities are spread all over Oklahoma, he said, and they are committed to meeting students where they are. He specifically mentioned the number of returning adult learners the system serves. More than 45,000 students are enrolled in RUSO, he said, with 57% coming from rural Oklahoma. A large number of students come from families with lower-than average income. Munson said she was one of these students who came from a single-parent household without money for college. She's a proud RUSO graduate. She thanked the presenters for giving students like her an opportunity to graduate college. She said it's her hope the Legislature can find better ways to support the schools so they don't have to be quite so innovative with their finances. Lamb said 92% of RUSO graduates are employed within one year. Nearly half graduate without college debt, and the others graduated with $11,000 less in debt than the national average. The return on investment for Oklahoma from these graduates is $9.55 for every $1 of state funding. The schools also meet many critical workforce needs, he said. Against that backdrop, Lamb then shared various current capital needs of RUSO's campuses. Other presenters before the committee were: Dr. Kyle Stafford, president of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College; John McArthur, president of Cameron University; and Julie Dinger, president of Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Each shared about their schools' student populations and their building and maintenance needs and asked the Legislature's help in investing in facilities and upgrades. Stafford said school leaders must be creative and innovative to update facilities, many that were built decades ago. Dinger said her school seeks every external grant it can as well as partnerships with other entities to share costs. Both leaders asked the Legislature to consider matching funds to help the schools hold onto assets already in place. "We've got to be price sensitive when it relates to our students," Stafford said. Raising the price of tuition and fees is not the optimal way to fund building and maintenance projects, he said. McArthur said his emphasis is on renovating and refreshing, not building new. This can be done for pennies on the dollar verses the cost of new construction, but it does require hiring people who can work on older buildings as well as on older plumbing and electrical systems. One project on which he's asking the Legislature's help is to update a 1929 building's fire suppression system. At the time the building was constructed, that was a bucket of water, her joked. The facility now needs a better system. Dinger said some critical infrastructure pieces must be replaced as they can no longer be repaired because of their age. She also explained jumps in costs such as property insurance as well as for energy usage. A 657% jump in gas costs happened this year, for example, as the school's provider recalibrated meters for the first time in years. She's looking at energy efficiencies to offset this unintended expense, she said. Americans with Disabilities requirements were part of the presentations as well as security and technology upgrade needs. "We are passionate about what we do, and we are so thankful you are willing to hear from us what our capital needs are," Dinger said. Hilbert noted millions of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds went to regional and rural colleges and universities and asked several school presidents who were not on the list of presenters to give on-the-spot updates on how these funds helped with their needs. Wendell Godwin, president of East Central University said it was cheaper to build a new facility for the school's growing nursing program versus renovating an older facility. The ARPA funds will help in this, he said. The school also is partnering with the Chickasaw Nation on the project, he said. Northeastern State University spent ARPA funds on upgrading HVAC systems to improve air quality in older buildings. Additional funds are being spent on an optometry school on campus.  SWOSU spent ARPA money on a new pharmacy school and a rural health center. This will give nursing students adequate space for study and will allow the school to continue growing it's Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs.