In this screenshot taken from video, Sen. Todd Nash, R-Enterprise, speaks at the Oregon Senate, March 4, 2025, in support of making the T-bone the state’s official steak. Nash requested permission to use a “visual aid” before taking off his blazer and revealing a steak-themed shirt.
Screenshot via Oregon State Legislature video
The Oregon Senate has voted to make the T-bone Oregon’s official steak.
The idea is being championed by Oregon CattleWomen. The group’s president-elect, Gabrielle Homer, said ranchers noticed in 2023 when Oregon’s potato lobby beat out the onion lobby to become Oregon’s official vegetable.
“Boy, that potato sure needs a steak on the plate next to it,” Homer said.
Only one other state in the union has an official steak. Oklahoma claims the ribeye. So, Homer said, Oregon CattleWomen looked around and decided on the T-bone.
“Because it has two sides to it. Kind of like Oregon,” Homer said, referring to the east and west sides of the Cascades. “So there’s the tenderloin side and the striploin side. And then the bone in the middle is representative of the Cascade Mountains.”
In 2022, cattle contributed nearly $800 million to Oregon’s economy, making it the second-largest agricultural commodity in the state, behind the nursery industry.
“It’s kind of a unifying thought,” Homer said. “That we could have two beautiful sides to a steak. Both have value. We bring them together and have a great experience, just like the state of Oregon.”
In testimony to the Senate Committee on Rules, Morgan Kromm, a cattlewoman with Roaring Springs Ranch near Frenchglen, Oregon, called it an opportunity to celebrate the hard-working ranchers who provide safe, sustainable and nutritious protein.
The Oregon Senate voted 30-0 to choose the T-bone as Oregon’s official steak. The bill now awaits its first reading in the House.