GUTHRIE - State Representative Jason Murphey has been named by House Speaker Chris Benge to chair the newly created Government Modernization Committee.

"I plan on working very aggressively to streamline and cut government spending in this capacity," Murphey said.

Murphey said the creation of the committee demonstrates the commitment of House Leadership to modernize and shrink the size of government. Murphey explained that the creation of the new committee builds on previous efforts in the House which demonstrated how millions of taxpayer dollars could be saved if antiquated procedures were to be modernized.

Murphey becomes the first House District 31 State Representative to chair a standing committee since the creation of the district following the 1964 Reynolds v. Sims United States Supreme Court decision which forced the Legislature to draw boundaries based on the one man, one vote concept. The last time a Guthrie area State Representative was appointed to chair a House Committee was in 1963, when Representative Dick Fogarty was designated to chair the House Public Health Committee.