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The Washington County GOP held their Dinner on the Prairie fundraiser at the Timber Oaks venue just to the west of Bartlesville on Highway 60 on Monday evening.

Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell made guest appearance at the event. He said the commitment of the Washington County GOP is what is needed for the Republican Party heading into 2020.

The event was Lt. Gov. Pinnell's third function in Washington County this year and he will make a fourth return in November when the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce holds a forum at the Bartlesville Community Center.

Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell made guest appearance at the event. As the Secretary of Tourism and Branding, he said Oklahoma is the most sales tax dependent state in the country, and that the state needs to go after tourism dollars because they are the easiest dollars to go after.

No one, Pinnell said, can match Oklahoma's heritage or history. He said Oklahoma needs to stop pretending to be something that it is not and just be Oklahoma.

Between now and the end of the year, Lt. Gov. and approximately 150 of the most creative people in the State of Oklahoma, are working together to create the brand every Oklahoman can be proud of moving forward. He said that should bring more people into the state than ever before.

At the end of his speech, Lt. Gov. Pinnell spoke about small business in the State of Oklahoma. He said most small businesses are looking for help and if they can't find help, they go to Dallas, Kansas City, Houston or Denver.

Once they are there, they never come back. Lt. Gov. Pinnell promised at the dinner that he and Governor Kevin Stitt are tenacious about correcting this issue. He said private sector growth has got to be the leading goal of government policies at the Capitol for all 77 counties in Oklahoma.

To hear the entirety of Lt. Gov. Pinnell's speech on Monday evening, click here.