Stephanie Bice


Stephanie Bice is an American politician who has served in the Oklahoma Senate from the 22nd district since 2014. She is running for the Republican nomination in in the 2020 election.

Early life and career

Born in Oklahoma City, Bice graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's degree in Marketing and a minor in International Business.

Career

Bice worked for eight years in financial oversight, business strategy and marketing for her family's technology company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Stephanie later helped lead a boutique digital marketing agency in Oklahoma City as vice president of business development.

Oklahoma State Senate

Honors and awards

Bice was chosen as one of 52 legislators across the U.S. for the State Legislative Leaders Foundation Emerging Leaders Class of 2015. She was also selected as a GOPAC Emerging Leader for 2015 and received the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce Rising Star award. That year she also addressed the Southern Republican Leadership Conference held in Oklahoma City. She was selected as one of 25 women for the Governing Institute's Leadership Class of 2016. Bice is an Aspen Institute–Rodel Fellow.

Tenure

Bice served on the Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation, and the Business, Commerce & Tourism, Finance, Public Safety committees.
In 2016, Bice was elected by the Senate Republican Caucus to serve as Assistant Majority Floor Leader of the Senate.
Bice votes against abortion rights has been endorsed by Oklahoma Right to Life. Bice also received an A rating from the NRA.
Bice was the Senate sponsor of House Bill 1269 that provided relief to people who were serving felony prison sentences for crimes that are now misdemeanors. Instead of automatically granting retroactive relief to all eligible inmates, state lawmakers directed the Pardon and Parole Board to establish an accelerated, single-stage commutation docket to review eligible cases. SB 142 required informed consent for nursing home patients and their families regarding the use of powerful antipsychotic drugs. The measure deals with the overuse of powerful antipsychotic drugs for nursing home patients who have not received a psychiatric diagnosis, nor has informed consent been given by the patients or their representatives.
Bice was a sponsor of State Question 792, which overhauled Oklahoma's liquor laws by engineering the first overhaul since 1959 when prohibition was repealed in Oklahoma and which allowed groceries store to sell full point beer and wine. Advertising in favor of the measure was mostly funded by Walmart, which contributed 1.6 million dollars. Proponents of the measure argued that it liberalized alcohol sales while opponents argued that it favored large grocery stores and big chains and disfavored small businesses.

2020 congressional campaign

In April 2019, Bice announced her candidacy for Oklahoma's 5th congressional district in the 2020 election. Bice placed second in the June 30, 2020 Republican primary behind Terry Neese, a businesswoman Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma in 1990. As no candidate secured 50 percent of votes cast, Bice and Neese advanced to a runoff election. The winner of the runoff will face incumbent Democrat Kendra Horn in the November general election.

Personal life

She married Geoffrey Bice in 1996. Bice is Catholic and attends St. Eugene Catholic Church in Oklahoma City.

Elections

Bice was first elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 2014. She was re-elected in 2018 with 68% of the vote in the general election, and 73% of the vote in the Republican Primary, defeating Leslie NesSmith.