Visit the Oklahoma State Capitol these days and you might be awed by the gleaming new marble floor recently installed there. But that floor is drawing the ire of some in Oklahoma, who wish the state’s lawmakers had searched for marble a bit closer to home.
As The Oklahoman reports, the new floor of the statehouse was built with marble imported from China. Lawmakers responded to the criticism by insisting that they were following Oklahoma law, which stipulates that the state select the lowest cost bid for state improvement projects. Residents of Marble City, Oklahoma are especially upset.
Marble City’s mayor said she feels that the Oklahoma State Capitol should have marble from the state of Oklahoma and not another country. She added that purchasing marble from Marble City would have helped the residents that work there, and it would have been a good way to put money back into the local economy.