Topeka ? Republicans picked a new Kansas House speaker Monday, dumping incumbent Melvin Neufeld after he and his allies lost major debates on energy and gambling.

GOP House members and members-elect named veteran Rep. Mike O’Neal, of Hutchinson, as their new leader, on a 41-36 vote. Neufeld, of Ingalls, is the first incumbent speaker to be denied a second two-year term since 1994.

The decision still must be ratified by the entire House when the 2009 Legislature convenes on Jan. 12. But Republicans will hold a 77-48 majority, and the minority party traditionally defers to the majority party’s decision.

“Folks wanted to try a different style of leadership,” said Rep. Kevin Yoder, an Overland Park Republican who backed O’Neal.

Neufeld’s ouster was the biggest news from leadership elections in both chambers.

House Republicans gave Majority Leader Ray Merrick, of Stilwell, a second term. Democrats chose Rep. Paul Davis, of Lawrence, to replace outgoing Minority Leader Dennis McKinney, who has been appointed to fill a coming vacancy in the state treasurer’s office.

In the Senate, President Steve Morris, a Hugoton Republican; Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, an Independence Republican; and Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, all retained their jobs. Republicans hold a 31-9 majority, and Morris and Schmidt are moderates.

Both O’Neal and Neufeld are conservatives, and both were first elected to the House in 1984. O’Neal is the longtime chairman of the Judiciary Committee, while Neufeld is a former chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

But some Republicans have grumbled about Neufeld since last year, when a bill allowing state-owned casinos passed despite his opposition. Supporters drafted it outside the normal committee process, then amended it into a bill during House debate and rammed it through both chambers in less than a week.

This year, Neufeld and his allies failed to muster enough votes to override Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ three vetoes of bills allowing two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas, despite strong bipartisan support for them. Sebelius’ administration has blocked the plants since October 2007 over their potential carbon-dioxide emissions.

Neufeld also faced criticism from some Republicans that too much power and too many decisions were concentrated in the speaker’s office.

“It was a pretty closed leadership style the last couple of years,” O’Neal said. “People were complaining the last couple of years about just never knowing from day to day what the plan was.”