PONCA CITY, Okla. (OBV) – A state legislator was honored in Ponca City for his consistently pro-business voting record in the Oklahoma Senate in 2024.
Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, received The State Chamber of Oklahoma’s Business All-Star Award for his perfect score in the 2024 Research Institute for Economic Development (RIED) Report, which is released annually by the State Chamber Research Foundation.
State Chamber officials have been visiting Chamber members throughout the state and taking time during some of the visits to present Business All-Star Awards to legislators who achieved a perfect 2024 RIED Report score. The award was presented to Coleman at Phillips 66’s refinery in Ponca City.
Coleman prioritizes staying in close contact with Oklahoma’s business community.
“I was very pleased to hear that I got 100 percent on the RIED score,” Coleman said. “Being a small business owner myself, I’m certainly attuned to what’s going on in the business world and the state of Oklahoma. As a legislator, I will continue to do everything I can to help business, especially small business in the great state of Oklahoma.”
Coleman is a reliable resource for businesses, according to Scott Bilger, State Government Affairs manager for Phillips 66.
“It’s not a surprise at all for Sen. Coleman to get this award,” Bilger said. “Sen. Coleman’s not only somebody I go to over Phillips 66 issues, but on general business issues, whatever it may be statewide. He is known as a voice of reason. He is always willing to listen and always willing to engage in a dialog, which is all we can ask a legislator for. As the head of business and commerce, he’s done a great job. We look forward to a continuing working relationship with Senator Coleman.”
SCRF – a division of The State Chamber of Oklahoma – issued the 2024 RIED Report in early August, giving the Oklahoma Legislature as a whole a score of just over 75 percent for its voting record on pro-growth legislation during this past legislative session.
RIED also profiles each state legislator’s individual voting record on bills that impact business, industry, job creation and economic growth issues that matter most to the private sector. Each legislator is graded on his or her vote on each bill.
“The 2024 report shows that overall, Oklahoma has moved in an appropriate direction legislatively. The report details all of the pro- and anti-growth measures that we track, and where each legislator stands,” said Ben Lepak, SCRF Executive Director “I think there were a lot of missed opportunities this session. There are ways that the legislature could position our state to better compete with other states, with more and better targeted legislation.”
This year’s report rated legislators based on their votes for 13 bills. Coleman was one of seven legislators who voted 100 percent “pro-growth” on those 13 bills, while 38 legislators voted over 90 percent pro-growth.
“This session was an important one for the state’s economy. We identified some leaders in both the Senate and the House, some true pro-growth champions, that can lead our state to greater heights,” said State Chamber President and CEO Chad Warmington. “We look forward to having their support as we head into 2025 and continue to push for reforms that will help grow our state’s economy.”
RIED is an SCRF program that promotes economic growth through the evaluation of business, job and economic growth issues considered by the legislature.
The report scores legislators on their votes on economic bills at the end of each legislative session. Absences are not counted against the final score.
