Oklahoma State Senator Roger Thompson to 'irrevocably' resign on November 1 – some modest analysis

Oklahoma State Senator Roger Thompson of Okemah has resigned from the upper chamber of the state legislature, "effective November 1."

The news was conveyed in a press release sent to CityNewsOKC, CityNewsTulsa and other news organizations on Friday, June 14.

In the transmission to State Capitol reporters and others, Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said:

“Senator Roger Thompson has been a wonderful friend and great partner in the Senate over the last 10 years.

“His faithful stewardship of the budget the past several years has led to record savings and record investments in education, behavioral health and infrastructure. Sen. Thompson has also helped navigate the Legislature through many difficult times, especially through the ARPA process.

"His work on developing the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency [LOFT] as co-chair has been instrumental in the successful outcomes we have seen come out of this office.

"Senator Thompson has a servant’s heart through and through. Even before coming to the Senate, he served in numerous roles in his community, including as a pastor for his local ministry and as a missionary in overseas outreach.

“Senator Thompson has served his state well and while I look forward to continuing our friendship moving forward, the Senate is losing a valued member of our family. I wish him and his wife, Pamela, well on whatever is in store next for them.”

Stepping Aside in a Letter

In his formal regination letter -- submitted to Treat in his role as president pro tempore of the upper chamber of the Legislature -- Thompson wrote:

"I am grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to serve the people of Senate District 8 for the last 10 years. Pursuant to 26 O.S. 12-119, I hereby irrevocably tender my regination for the elected position of State Senator District 8. Such resignation shall not become effective immediately but shall become effective on November 1, 2024."

The letter can be viewed in situ on the Senate website, at this link:

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/OKSENATE/2024/06/14/file_attachments/2908642/Scan_20240614.pdf

Thompson, long regarded as a Treat loyalist, served several years (2018-2024) as chairman of the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committee.

In early May, Treat removed him from the post. News of the surprising change was first communicated as boxes of Senator Thompson's possessions were removed from his leadership office.

( https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-roger-thompson-out-as-budget-chairman-deal/60661544 )

Sen. Thompson did not comment on his removal from the leadership post, but the pro tempore said in a statement: “He has been an invaluable appropriations chairman and I have the highest regard for Sen. Thompson. However, as we continue our transition into our new transparency efforts, it is vital to move forward accordingly."

Tres Savage snags ‘the rest of the story’ at NonDoc.com

Tres Savage of NonDoc.com -- an online news service -- reported at mid-afternoon Friday (June 14), "Thompson downplayed his removal as budget chairman when discussing his decision to resign."

(https://nondoc.com/2024/06/14/senator-roger-thompson-resignation-submitted-head-held-high/ )

Savage wrote that Thompson said, in a telephone interview: “It does not really stem from that [his removal as chairman]. I think over the last couple of years, (my wife) Pam and I have looked at our business interests and what we need to be doing. It’s time for us to move on to another area, so it is not directly related to that, no. ... I think there’s a season for everything, and there’s a time for everything, and now is the time for me to go back into the business world, so I’m looking forward to that.”

As Savage aptly reported in his June 14 story, “the eventual deal between the chambers looked notably similar to the positions Thompson and Senate subcommittee chairmen had negotiated in private with House leaders before Treat made his decision."

While the pro tempore is not known for affability, Thompson is.

Savage observed, "Treat and Thompson spoke casually to each other multiple times on the Senate floor in May, laughing at points and appearing to hold little ill will against each other for the removal decision that many Capitol insiders considered insulting."

Savage ended his story with a light touch, observing: "The fate of The Roger Thompson — a whiskey-based digestif anchoring the menu at Rococo on Western — was unclear by the publication of this article."

Thompson was for years accessible to reporters, albeit with increasingly frequent exceptions. Press releases about him and his work more and more frequently came not from Thompson, but from Treat.

Despite this writer’s policy disagreements over taxation, Big Tribe agendas and other important matters aside, he was and remains consistently a gentleman. He and his wife Pamela own a newspaper. Perhaps after a statute of some limitations, he will share more of … the rest of the story.

At a political campaign gathering two years ago at The Tasting Room (in the old Will Rogers theatre, also on Western Avenue), this writer enjoyed a glass a wine. Although we did not speak, Thompson nodded affably and raised his libation (perhaps a whiskey) in salute.

Thompson had two years left before facing term limits on his legislative service. He now joins a cadre of legislators who have left office early over the last year. Within constitutional and statutory outlines, Governor Kevin Stitt will determine the timing a special election to fill out the Thompson term.