RIED Report Lists Top Pro-Business Legislators

Oklahoma's Research Institute for Economic Development (RIED) is out with its annual report card measuring how legislators vote on business, jobs and economic growth issues as selected by RIED officials. Eight legislators, four each in the House and Senate, received perfect scores. They are House members Todd Hiett of Kellyville, Susan Winchester of Chickasha, Lance Cargill of Harrah and Brian Bingman of Sapulpa. All are Republicans. In the Senate, those with perfect scores are Cliff Branan of Oklahoma City, Clark Jolley of Edmond, Mike Mazzei of Tulsa and Ted Fisher of Sapulpa, the lone Democrat. At the bottom of the rankings are State Rep. Opio Toure, D-Oklahoma City, with a score of zero, and Senator Stratton Taylor, D-Claremore, with a score of 37. RIED President Vince Robison said the Legislature as a whole has improved on business issues since RIED began issuing annual reports in 1999. "We started in with this report on the Legislature in 1999, and it was 39 percent business positive," he said. "This last year it was 75 percent.... We're learning that the Oklahoma Legislature is becoming much more attuned to economic development and growth issues than they have been in the past."

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