OKLAHOMA CITY (KFSM) — A bill naming the rib eye as the official 'State Steak of Oklahoma' has passed its first hurdle, according to our new Oklahoma City news affiliate KFOR.
Senate Bill 21, authored by Sen. Casey Murdock, names the rib eye the 'State Steak of Oklahoma.'
"I don't want to say it's a cheerleading bill, but it's promoting an Oklahoma product," Murdock told KFOR.
Murdock, a rancher himself, pointed out that there is 5.2 million head of cattle in Oklahoma. Which means there are more bovines than people in the state.
“We get beat up on different issues; we’re last in education, we’re last in this and that, and we need to promote what is good in that state also."
Murdock believes that highlighting the rib eye in Oklahoma would be good for tourism and the restaurant industry.
"Having a steak that represents the state of Oklahoma is good for agriculture, it's good for the restaurant industry. It's got Cattlemen's name written all over it," said David Egan, of Cattlemen's Steak House in Oklahoma City, according to KFOR.
Some people in Oklahoma aren't as eager on spending legislative time and money on such a bill.
"I think Oklahoma has a whole lot of pressing issues versus someone wasting time thinking about rib eyes, naming it as our official steak," Agafar Cooper told KFOR.
"They could be working on education instead of thinking about steak names," said Brent Thrasher.
Murdock says the bill has a purpose.
"They say, 'Oh, you are wasting your time down there.' We are running bills anyway; this is just running a bill that is going to promote a business in Oklahoma. I don't like higher taxes; I like more businesses in Oklahoma paying more taxes. I see this bill as promoting the AG industry," he said.
The bill passed the Senate Committee on General Government with a vote of 11-1 earlier this week.