Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell discussed topics such as tourism, economic development and state film incentives Tuesday at the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Joint Board of Directors and Board of Advisors Meeting.

Pinnell took questions from Katie Henke, the Chamber’s senior vice president of government affairs, before a crowd of about 180 at Tulsa Tech’s Client Services Center (Lemley Campus). He said Tulsa has invested heavily in tourism because local officials understand that it starts with a trip.

“It could be a wrestling tournament; it could be the Outsiders (House),” Pinnell said. “I don’t care what it is. If we can get somebody to the city of Tulsa to spend sales tax dollars and see how great Tulsa has become over the last 20 years, then we can have a conversation with them about why they should live here.

“…That’s why George Kaiser built the best park in the entire world (Gathering Place) because it’s the best recruitment tool we have, whether we are recruiting an orthopedic surgeon or the superintendent of one of our high schools.”

From June 2022 to July 2023, Oklahoma was the ninth fastest-growing state in the country in net migration growth, Pinnell said, adding that more Texans are moving to Oklahoma than Oklahomans to Texas.

Specifically, Pinnell said he’s “laser-focused” on recruiting young families to Oklahoma from the Dallas Metroplex. Dallas, which he described as “full,” is projected to be the nation’s third-largest city in the next three years. The largest alumni associations for both the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University are in Dallas.

“If we don’t get those kids and those young families, Bentonville, Arkansas, is going to,” Pinnell said. “Des Moines, Iowa, is going to. We’re competing as much with those cities and those states as we are with Dallas and Houston. Somebody has to be taking a microphone and screaming that from the rooftops.”

Until announcing his resignation from the position this week, Pinnell also served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development. He told the crowd that in recent years, several large manufacturers considering high-profile operations in Oklahoma have gone to other states, including Tesla (to Texas), Volkswagen (to Canada) and Panasonic (to Kansas).

To better equip itself to close those kinds of deals, the State of Oklahoma is considering restructuring the Commerce Department, with two bills in the legislature aimed at doing just that, Pinnell said.

“There are seven deals right now on our desk of over $4 billion,” he said. “So, we’re in a completely different stratosphere when it comes to economic development in Oklahoma, which means what? We have to have the legislature’s help.

“…We’re not talking about completely blowing up Commerce. But we are talking about making sure that Commerce is doing what Commerce should be doing. And that is having a hunting and gathering division, the people who are out there hustling every day. Who is cranky in this country who wants to relocate and who wants to restore operations to America and is looking to Oklahoma?”

Turning to state film incentives, Pinnell said Oklahoma needs to step up its game.

Oklahoma, which he said competes with about 10 other states that have film rebate programs, has a film rebate budget of $30 million.

By contrast, recent legislation in Texas moved that state’s film funding from $45 million to $200 million.

“Every sound stage is America is full, every single one,” Pinnell said. “We are either going to be supportive and chase that business or we’re not.”

Combining resources with partners such as the Cherokee Nation will help Oklahoma expand its presence in the sector, Pinnell said. The Cherokee Film Commission has a standalone incentive program that allows for sustainable projects when state money runs short.

Also, the tribe last year broke ground on a second soundstage at Cherokee Film Studios in Owasso.

“It (Oklahoma’s film rebate) needs to be between $50 million to $80 million for us to really take the industry to the next level,” Pinnell said. “You’re only going to have so many ‘Killers of the Flower Moons.’ You’re only going to have so many ‘Twisters.’”

The new motion picture “Twisters,” filmed in Oklahoma, will be released in July.

“You’re only going to so many of those unicorn projects,” Pinnell said. “We have to continue to beat New Mexico. And, I think absolutely we can compete with Georgia because what we can do with our sovereigns (sovereign nations) moving forward in the state.”