As the new Speaker of the House in Oklahoma, Todd Hiett has promised to promote traditional values, a stronger education system, economic growth and a "frugal" management style. "Even though we're managing a $5.5 billion budget, I still maintain that every dollar of that budget comes out of the taxpayer's pocket," Hiett said. "Some feel that money is created by state government, but I know that's not true. Every dollar represents a reduction in a worker's paycheck."

 

At age 14, Hiett began his own hay-hauling business. It's a hot job involving long hours, lungs full of pollen and constant, scratchy irritation, but Hiett found that was nothing compared to the irritation of dealing with the government.

 

"I realized that government can play a very important role in the success or failure of a business," he said.

 

Hiett continued to feed his entrepreneurial instincts at Oklahoma State University. "I was concerned that if I lived in a dorm or an apartment, my time would not be well-invested," he recalled. Instead of kicking back and enjoying the non-academic side of college life, Hiett leased a farm in Glencoe, fixed up the property and bought cattle. He then covered his expenses by boarding horses, running a cow-calf operation, and leasing rooms to other students.

 

After graduation in 1989, Hiett and his new wife, Bridget, returned to his hometown of Kellyville and bought a small abandoned dairy farm. He might have been content with farming and ranching if not for a run-in with the state Department of Agriculture. Within a few years of starting his business, the department informed him a cow in his beef herd had been identified as a potential carrier of brucellosis, a contagious disease.

 

As a result, the entire herd was quarantined. And even though Hiett cooperated with the government to lift the restriction, a year later the herd was still under quarantine. "Agriculture was already a tough business, but it was a tremendous financial burden to maintain and care for the herd when I couldn't market any of them," Hiett said. "I felt the business could not survive."

 

The ban was not lifted until Hiett made a personal appeal to the State Board of Agriculture in Oklahoma City. As a result of that experience, Hiett felt he should dedicate more time to political issues and elected officials. Before long, he was a legislative candidate. "I guess I just got too close to the fire," Hiett said. "I decided to run for office so I could help make some of those decisions."

 

Ten years later, Hiett was the leader of an Oklahoma House Republican majority - the first seen since 1920 - and the caucus' choice for speaker.

 

"My primary goal in getting involved in the process was to try to bring state government into a position to promote future prosperity and economic growth instead of being a hindrance," Hiett said.