Oklahoma lawmaker wants to make rib eye the 'State Steak'

Dec. 7 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma state senator is introducing a bill to name the rib eye as the official "State Steak of Oklahoma."

State Sen. Casey Murdock, R-District 61, authored Senate Bill 21, which would enshrine the rib eye as Oklahoma's official state steak.

"I don't want to say it's a cheerleading bill, but it's promoting an Oklahoma product," Murdock told KFOR-TV.

He said Oklahoma has 5.2 million head of cattle, and the state's positive accomplishments need to be celebrated.

"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," he said.

Murdock said his bill could be a boon to one of the state's largest industries.

"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.