22 Facts About Michael O'Neal

Michael O'Neal was born on January 16,1951 and is an American lawyer and Republican politician from Hutchinson, Kansas.

Michael O'Neal served as the Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives from 2009 to 2013.

An only child, Michael O'Neal lived on the farm until he was four.

Michael 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, where Ralph made a living in bread sales and owned and operated a home delivery dairy business.

Michael O'Neal attended public schools from kindergarten through high school in Scott City.

Michael O'Neal earned his JD degree at KU in 1976 and moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, where he has practiced law for nearly 30 years.

Michael 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.

Michael O'Neal was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1984, beating incumbent Democrat Steven Ediger.

In 1984, Michael 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, Michael 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 Strasbourg, France.

Michael O'Neal has 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.

Michael O'Neal served as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and was Chairman of the House Redistricting Committee during the 2002 session.

Michael O'Neal has chaired the House Judiciary Committee three different times totaling 13 years and has served as Chairman of the House Education Committee.

Michael O'Neal was twice elected to the office of Republican Whip.

Michael 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.

In 1997, Michael 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.

Michael 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.

In 2011, Michael O'Neal sent an email that referred to the First Lady Michelle Obama as "Mrs YoMama".

On June 1,2012, Michael O'Neal announced his retirement and his decision to stand down from running for re-election.

Michael O'Neal has an active state and federal trial practice involving, primarily, the defense of doctors and other health care providers.

Michael O'Neal is a member of the Kansas Bar Association, Kansas Association of Defense Counsel, Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Defense Research Institute.

Michael O'Neal used scripture in a widely circulated email to suggest President Barack Obama's "days be few in number" from Psalm 109:8.