TULSA, Okla. — Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell told 2 News that the state is on track to be a top-10 state in many categories, but getting there requires a large workforce and competing with larger cities.
“Oklahoma has a ton of momentum,” Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell said.
Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell told us he sees nothing but good things for the state going into the new year.
Back in Jan. 2024, he told 2 News Anchor Cori Duke that people wanted to move to the sooner state.
“We’re really making a play right now for young families around the country, but in particular in the Dallas metroplex area that hey the quality of life in Oklahoma is as good,” Pinnell said in Jan. 2024.
Fast forward to December, the Lt. Gov said the state is still growing with more families moving in.
“Oklahoma is number nine in the nation in net migration growth today.”
Pinnell said that’s thanks to affordability.
We did some research and found that it is 16% more expensive to live in Dallas compared to living in Tulsa.
Which Pinnell said is making waves for both families and companies.
“Affordability leads the way for us when it comes to being competitive with companies wanting to scale in Oklahoma and companies looking to move to the state,” Lt. Governor said.
When we spoke with Pinnell last, he told us oil and gas continue to lead economically.
Previous coverage>>>Lt. Gov. gives economic forecast for the state, touts job growth and business development
“The innovation that we are seeing in the oil and gas industry is very strong,” Pinnell said in January of 2024. “Hydrogen play into the future, I think, will also be something that could create a bunch of jobs inside the state of Oklahoma.”
Yet now, he says he wants Oklahoma to expand its economy.
“Diversifying our economy so that so we don’t have to put so much pressure on oil and gas,” Pinnell said in December of 2024.
Pinnell said the state is pushing forward with our aerospace industry, which is right behind oil and gas.
The state is leading the nation in offering aerospace classes in high school, hoping to keep Oklahomans in the state after graduation.
“For the kids and grand kids that we’re raising inside Oklahoma, they’re going to be able to work for globally known names when it comes to aerospace.”
As Tulsa leads as a tech hub, Pinnell said he hopes it continues that momentum to attract more companies to Green Country.
“Help scales their tech businesses in America, you can do it in Oklahoma.”
In January, the lieutenant governor spoke about how the film industry was still reeling from “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
And now, Pinnell suggests that the success of Twisters is due to the Cherokee Nation partnering with the state to grow the film industry by starting its film incentive.
“We’re going to bring so many more projects to the state because we can partner with a sovereign nation.”
With diversifying Oklahoma’s economy, Lt. Gov. Pinnell thanked the Oklahoma legislature for passing bills to grow the Sooner State and hopes to go into 2025, they’ll continue this plan.
We asked the lieutenant governor where the state falls short, and he said the infrastructure is not available for big companies to move into the state, which is something that Pinnell says will be pushed into the next legislative session.
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