Michael O'Neal: Difference between revisions
Lauriellen (talk | contribs) Added the next line to the controversial Psalm to show why it was controversial. |
Lauriellen (talk | contribs) Removed duplicate entry of the Psalm controversy, which was both in a general section and a section labeled Controversy. I left the one in Controversy. It could go either way. |
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O'Neal is a commissioner with the [[National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws]] and serves as a member of the Kansas Judicial Council. His other current committee assignments are Rules & Journal Committee and the House Transportation, Judicial Branch, Revenue and KPERS Budget Subcommittee. Other legislative memberships include the National Conference of State Legislatures, Council of State Governments, and the American Legislative Exchange Council. In [[1997]], O'Neal accompanied a group of [[Kansas State University]] educators and fellow legislators on an educational exchange mission to Voronezh, [[Russia]] to assist their emerging democracy. |
O'Neal is a commissioner with the [[National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws]] and serves as a member of the Kansas Judicial Council. His other current committee assignments are Rules & Journal Committee and the House Transportation, Judicial Branch, Revenue and KPERS Budget Subcommittee. Other legislative memberships include the National Conference of State Legislatures, Council of State Governments, and the American Legislative Exchange Council. In [[1997]], O'Neal accompanied a group of [[Kansas State University]] educators and fellow legislators on an educational exchange mission to Voronezh, [[Russia]] to assist their emerging democracy. |
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In 2011, O'Neal apologized for an offensive email he forwarded referring to [[First Lady]] [[Michelle Obama]] as "Mrs. YoMama".<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/06/mike-oneal-michelle-obama-email-mrs-yomama_n_1189124.html</ref><ref>http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/05/3355272/legislator-apologizes-for-yomama.html</ref> He did not, however, apologize for another e-mail about [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama|Obama]] that quoted Psalm 109:8, which reads in part: “... Let his days be few; and let another take his office,” and in the next line, "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow."<ref>[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/06/kansas-house-speaker-apologizes-for-calling-first-lady-mrs-yomama/ Kansas House Speaker apologizes for calling First Lady ‘Mrs. YoMama’]</ref> |
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==Professional career== |
==Professional career== |
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==Controversy== |
==Controversy== |
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In 2011, O'Neal apologized for an offensive email he forwarded referring to [[First Lady]] [[Michelle Obama]] as "Mrs. YoMama".<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/06/mike-oneal-michelle-obama-email-mrs-yomama_n_1189124.html</ref><ref>http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/05/3355272/legislator-apologizes-for-yomama.html</ref> He did not, however, apologize for another e-mail about [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama|Obama]] that quoted Psalm 109:8, which reads: |
In 2011, O'Neal apologized for an offensive email he forwarded referring to [[First Lady]] [[Michelle Obama]] as "Mrs. YoMama".<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/06/mike-oneal-michelle-obama-email-mrs-yomama_n_1189124.html</ref><ref>http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/05/3355272/legislator-apologizes-for-yomama.html</ref> He did not, however, apologize for another e-mail about [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama|Obama]] that quoted Psalm 109:8, which reads in part: “... Let his days be few; and let another take his office,” and in the next line, "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow."<ref>[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/06/kansas-house-speaker-apologizes-for-calling-first-lady-mrs-yomama/ Kansas House Speaker apologizes for calling First Lady ‘Mrs. YoMama’]</ref> |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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Revision as of 21:44, 9 January 2012
Michael O'Neal | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 104th district | |
| Assumed office 1985 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 16, 1951 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Spouse | Cindy O'Neal |
| Residence(s) | Hutchinson, Kansas |
| Website | www.RepOneal.com |
Michael O'Neal (born January 16, 1951) is an American politician from Hutchinson, Kansas and a prominent Republican. O'Neal has been active in the Reno County Republican Party, first as a precinct committeeman, then as a member of the Executive Committee of the county party, and, finally, as an elected State Representative. He is currently the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Early Life & Education
Mike O'Neal was adopted as an infant by Ralph and Margaret O’Neal, a farm family from Manning, Kansas near Scott City, Kansas. An only child, O'Neal lived on the farm until he was 4. O'Neal’s father had been farming with his father and a brother but decided to give up farming and the family moved to Colby, Kansas for a short time before moving to Scott City, Kansas, where O'Neal’s dad made a living in bread sales and owned and operated a home delivery dairy business. O'Neal attended public schools from kindergarten through high school in Scott City. O'Neal graduated #2 in his class at Scott Community High in 1969.
O'Neal went to college on a National Science Foundation scholarship, attending the University of Kansas from 1969-1973, where he earned a B.A. in English and was accepted into the University of Kansas School of Law. During his second and third year of law school, O'Neal interned with the Office of Legislative Counsel. There he was involved in writing Supreme Court briefs on the Legislature’s behalf in such landmark cases as Brown v. Wichita State University and Leek v. Theis. In his 3rd year of law school O'Neal was Co-Chairman of Moot Court Council. O'Neal earned his J.D. degree at KU in 1976 and moved to Hutchinson, Kansas where he has practiced law for nearly 30 years. O'Neal has been active in the Reno County Republican Party, first as a precinct committeeman, then as a member of the Executive Committee of the county party, and, finally, as an elected State Representative.
Political Career & Honors
O'Neal was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1984, beating a one-term incumbent Democrat. In his eleventh term, O'Neal, along with two of his 1985 legislative classmates are the senior members of the Kansas House of Representatives. In 1984, O'Neal was in the inaugural class of Leadership Hutchinson and in 1985, his first year in the House, he was selected to Leadership Kansas. In 1986, O'Neal received the Outstanding Young Men of America award and in 1987 was an American Council of Young Political Leaders delegate to the Biennial Assembly in Strasburg, France.
O'Neal was the recipient of the Friend of Small Business award from the Kansas Chapter of the National Federation of Small Business, and recipient of the Kansas Bar Association’s Making a Difference Award. O'Neal has also served on the Kansas Sentencing Commission, KU Law Society Board of Governors, the Kansas Tourism Commission, the Hutchinson YMCA Board of Directors, and was Chairman of the Wesley Towers Advisory Committee. Recent honors include being named 2002 State Official of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders, being named 2005 Kansas Pro-Jobs Legislator by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, and being selected to the 2005 Class of Kansas Super Lawyers.[1]
O'Neal served as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and was Chairman of the House Redistricting Committee during the 2002 session. That Committee redrew House, Senate, State Board of Education and Congressional boundaries following the revised federal census of 2000. O'Neal then successfully represented the Legislature in Federal Court when the redistricting plan was challenged. O'Neal has chaired the House Judiciary Committee three different times totaling 13 years and has served as Chairman of the House Education Committee. O'Neal was twice elected to the office of Republican Whip.
O'Neal is a commissioner with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and serves as a member of the Kansas Judicial Council. His other current committee assignments are Rules & Journal Committee and the House Transportation, Judicial Branch, Revenue and KPERS Budget Subcommittee. Other legislative memberships include the National Conference of State Legislatures, Council of State Governments, and the American Legislative Exchange Council. In 1997, O'Neal accompanied a group of Kansas State University educators and fellow legislators on an educational exchange mission to Voronezh, Russia to assist their emerging democracy.
Professional career
Since 1988, O'Neal has been a shareholder in the Gilliland & Hayes law firm in Hutchinson. The firm also has offices in Wichita, Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas, and Lawrence, Kansas. The firm’s senior partner is former House member and Majority Leader John Hayes, whose former district O'Neal now represents. O'Neal has an active state and federal trial practice involving, primarily, the defense of doctors and other health care providers. O'Neal is a member of the Kansas Bar Association, Kansas Association of Defense Counsel, Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Defense Research Institute.
Family & Interests
O'Neal, along with wife Cindy, live in Hutchinson, Kansas. O'Neal has two children, Haley and Austin. Both Haley and Austin graduated from the University of Kansas. Cindy has worked for the legislature since 1987 and currently serves as the Secretary for the House Judiciary Committee. She has her B.A. in Corrections from Washburn University.
References
Controversy
In 2011, O'Neal apologized for an offensive email he forwarded referring to First Lady Michelle Obama as "Mrs. YoMama".[1][2] He did not, however, apologize for another e-mail about President Obama that quoted Psalm 109:8, which reads in part: “... Let his days be few; and let another take his office,” and in the next line, "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow."[3]