Contractors’ group supports Stephanie Bice in Fifth District Congressional race


Oklahoma City – State Sen. Stephanie Bice has garnered an important endorsement early in her campaign for U.S. Congress. 
The 380-member Association of Oklahoma General Contractors (AOGC) announced last week they were endorsing the Oklahoma City Republican “to become the next representative of Oklahoma’s Fifth Congress District 5.” 

AOGC, in comments sent to CapitolBeatOK, an independent news website based in Oklahoma City, credited Bice as “an advocate for improving and maintaining our state roads and bridges, support the ODOT 8-year construction work plan.” 
In a statement Bice said, “I am thrilled to have the hardworking men and women of the AOGC endorse my campaign for Congressional District 5. Construction employment in Oklahoma is at an all-time high, growing at more than 5 percent per year. It’s a clear sign that our state’s economy is strong and investment continues.”

Tim Duit, President of TTK Construction, a company headquartered in CD 5, said: “During some tough budget years Senator Bice helped make sure we stayed on track in fixing our state’s roads and bridges. This is why I am proud to support her candidacy for Congress.”

Jeff Allen, CEO of Allen Contracting, also headquartered in CD 5, commented: “Senator Bice is one of the only leaders to actually come out and tour our job sites. I found her willingness to learn and help refreshing. I am happy to support her bid to represent us in the 5th District.”

According to Bice, “The work of AOGC members to improve and preserve Oklahoma’s infrastructure continues to drive economic growth in our state.”

Senator Bice’s state Senate District 22 includes parts of northwest Oklahoma City, some of Edmond, and the cities of Yukon and Piedmont. Bice is the Assistant Majority Floor leader and runs the Senate Finance Committee. (https://capitolbeatok.worldsecuresystems.com/reports/incoming-oklahoma-senate-president-pro-temp-greg-treat-names-leadership-team-designates-stephanie-bi)
Bice has served in the Senate since 2014. 

Bice launched her campaign for the congressional post in April, saying “Washington is seized by gridlock and runaway spending and a Democratic House majority that has embraced socialist policies and big government solutions. In Congress, I’ll do what I’ve done in Oklahoma, tackle big problems head-on and work to deliver conservative solutions that grow our economy for hard-working Oklahoma taxpayers.” 

Bice guided to passage Senate Bill 1269, a bipartisan measure to assure retroactive implementation of provisions in State Question 780. That voter-approved measure allows individuals convicted of simple possession of small quantities of drugs to apply for their records to be expunged.  She joined House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols (R-Oklahoma City) and state Rep. Jason Dunnington (D-Oklahoma City) in a mid-May media availability in the state Capitol press room to detail the important reform.  

Bice is probably best known for championing liquor law reforms (the most significant since repeal of state-level prohibition in 1959). Analysts have credited the law with expansions of local breweries and distilleries, with some projecting as many as 5,000 jobs flowing form the new laws. She worked meticulously on the legislation during her first term in the Legislature (https://capitolbeatok.worldsecuresystems.com/reports/bice-boosts-better-beer-law). 
The Bice legislation has allowed consumers to purchase wine and beer in grocery stores for the first time in state history. 
Her work on liquor law reform was deemed, by CapitolBeatOK, one of the top state news stories in 2018. (https://capitolbeatok.worldsecuresystems.com/reports/capitolbeatok-s-listing-of-top-oklahoma-news-stories-part-ii-health-department-scandal-ends-with-a-w)

She joined House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols (R-Oklahoma City) and state Rep. Jason Dunnington (D-Oklahoma City) in a mid-May media availability in the state Capitol press room to detail the important reform.  

In the 2019 legislative session, Bice pressed for more stringent budgeting, working with Gov. Kevin Stitt and members of the majority caucus to enact reforms. 

To control state spending, as chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Bice led the effort to require legislative approval of line-item budgets for Oklahoma’s largest state agencies. An Oklahoma State University graduate, she worke din a family technology business and helped guide a digital marketing company as a vice president. In the Legislature, she has garnered high marks from a wide range of conservative and free market groups.
A graduate of Putnam City High School, Bice and her husband Geoffrey have two daughters. 

The present occupant of the Fifth District congressional seat is U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn, D-Oklahoma City. Horn’s victory in the 2018 campaign, in which she unseated incumbent Republican Steve Russell, was deemed one of the Sooner State’s top political stories in by CapitolBeatOK (https://capitolbeatok.worldsecuresystems.com/reports/oklahoma-news-in-2018-part-iii-capitolbeatok-designates-more-stories-of-significance-horn-s-fifth-di). 

Additionally, Horn’s leading role in a Democratic party surge in the Oklahoma City area in last year’s election was deemed the top local news story in the 2018 coverage of The City Sentinel newspaper. (https://capitolbeatok.worldsecuresystems.com/reports/the-color-purple-and-feminine-electoral-strength-oklahoma-city-s-top-10-stories-for-2018) 

NOTE: Pat McGuigan is founder of CapitolBeatOK.com, and publisher/editor of The City Sentinel newspaper.