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February 19, 2010 State Chamber Legislative Reception A Great Success – This week, The State Chamber hosted almost 70% of the Oklahoma State Legislature, congressmen and political leaders, along with more than 250 Oklahoma business leaders, at our annual Legislative Reception. In all, more than 400 individuals were in attendance…one of our better crowds.
Board Votes To Oppose Sale Of CompSource Oklahoma - After much debate and discussion Tuesday, the Board of Directors of The State Chamber of Oklahoma unanimously adopted the following motion: “The State Chamber opposes the sale of CompSource Oklahoma as reflected in HB 2662 by Representative Sullivan and SB 2232 by Senator Aldridge.” Our board took no position on either the privatization or mutualization of CompSource Oklahoma at this meeting. State Chamber Members, Board & Staff Work On A Long List Of Bills – The 2010 legislative session is now three weeks old and moving fast through bills. This week was the deadline for bills coming out of Senate committees. Next week is the deadline in the House. To access many of the bills we are watching and working on, click here. KEY TO SYMBOLS: CS = Chamber Supports; CO = Chamber Opposes; CNP = Chamber has no position; CNP FS = Chamber has no position, further study needed. Economic Development SB 1284 – Stanislawski – CS – Oklahoma Quality Events Act. Allows for the incremental sales tax generated by “quality events” to be used to attract, retain and promote those events in Oklahoma. Do Pass, Senate Finance Committee SB 1797 – Schulz – CO – Repeals the five-year ad valorem exemption for manufacturers. Pulled from Senate Finance Committee Agenda. Please thank Senator Schulz for requesting that the bill not be heard in committee. SB 1966 – Justice – CS – Amends the Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act to allow for 24 months, rather than 12 months, for qualifying businesses to employ a required number of employees. Do Pass, Senate Finance Committee SB 2124 – Mazzei – CS – Amends the Quality Jobs Act to allow support activities for rail transportation and water transportation to apply and qualify for Quality Jobs Act incentives. Do Pass, Senate Finance Committee SJR 61 – Coffee – CS – Creates a task force to study intangible personal property taxation. Do Pass, Senate Finance Committee Education and Healthcare SB 1862 – Coffee – CS – Increases the number of entities that can sponsor Charter Schools and allows them to be created statewide, not just limited to the two largest metro areas. Passed Senate Appropriations Committee SB 2330 – Ford & Denney – CS – Common education deregulation bill similar to a measure vetoed last year by Governor Henry. However, this year's measure includes a requirement that a majority of teachers in a district considering deregulation must approve the proposal. This being the case, the teacher’s union has now eliminated their opposition to the bill. Passed Senate Education Committee SB 2218 – Stanislawski – CS – Creates the Task Force on Creating Administrative Efficiencies to review potential cost-saving measures in the administration of Oklahoma’s common education system. Passed Senate Appropriations Committee SB 1836 – Crain – CS – Creates a Health Information Infrastructure Advisory Board with the directive of developing strategies to receive incentives in an attempt to successfully create an electronic medical record transfer system. Passed Senate Appropriations Committee SJR 64 – Coffee & Benge – CNP FS – Directs the Oklahoma Attorney General to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a federal healthcare legislation. Passed Senate Health & Human Services Committee Research and Technology SB 1267 – Mazzei – CNP FS - Eliminates tax credits for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or related equipment after tax year 2010. Do pass, Senate Finance SB 1597 - Stanislawski – CNP FS - Limits the terms of state boards and commissions members to six years, and limits current members to twelve years of service. Do pass, Senate General Government HB 1686 - Seneca Scott – CS - Enacts the Fair Competition in Bidding Processes Act of 2009. (On equal bids allows Central Purchasing to consider if one bidder offers health insurance to employees over one who does not.) Do pass, House Modernization CommitteeTransportation SB 1764 – Bingman – CS – Authorizes a new turnpike in Tulsa. Do Pass, Senate Transportation Committee SB 1766 – Schulz – CO – Allows counties to issue permits to regulate oversized and overweight vehicles. Do Pass, Senate General Government Committee SB 1941 – Marlatt – CS – Creates the “Innovative Funding for Oklahoma Roads Task Force” to study and evaluate innovations, technologies and new methods being used nationally to fund roads and bridges infrastructure. Do Pass, Senate Transportation Committee HB 3220 – Benge – CS – Authorizes a new turnpike in Tulsa. Do Pass, House Transportation Committee
2010 Basic Compensation Workshops - Last Chance to Register! - “What you need to know before implementing a salary freeze” is just one of the timely and appropriate topics that will be covered in the 2010 Basic Compensation Workshops planned for Tulsa on February 24th, and Oklahoma City on February 25th. This workshop will guide you through the Oklahoma Compensation Survey™, provide a detailed instruction on how to structure your company’s compensation plan to meet the market demand, and administer a performance-based salary budget. Click here for more information. This workshop should be attended by human resource and compensation professionals, as well as office managers, accounting managers and small business owners desiring a better understanding of Oklahoma compensation trends and how to apply the data to their business needs. This program has been Pre-Approved for Five (5) Hours HRCI credit.Contact Linda Story.
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CHAMPION INVESTORS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Granite Advisor |
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Major Workers’ Compensation Reform Bills Move Forward – With the Senate Judiciary Committee passing a Committee Substitute for SB 1973 (Sen. Coffee), and the House Economic Development & Financial Services Committee passing a Committee Substitute for HB 2652 (Rep. Sullivan), we saw two major workers’ compensation bills move forward this week. The State Chamber has created an overview of each bill. Click 
EPA Greenhouse Gas Finding Continues To Draw Opposition – The Washington Post reports that “Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on Tuesday filed paperwork attacking the legal underpinnings of an Obama administration effort to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, joining a crowd of political conservatives and business groups with similar objections.” Cuccinelli “sent a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, asking the agency to reconsider its finding in December that greenhouse gases pose a danger to public health by contributing to climate change.” Cuccinelli also “filed a separate petition asking a federal court to review the EPA’s finding.” Texas “filed a similar petition challenging the EPA’s finding Tuesday.” The EPA’s “findings were ‘based on the tainted data of an agenda-driven international panel,’ Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said at a news conference.” Challenges “have also been filed by the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Petroleum Institute and the American Iron and Steel Institute.” 
It’s That Time Again – Time To Sponsor Tech Now - The Tech Now program is designed to encourage students with disabilities to explore post-secondary education and careers related to technology. The Technology Council members have been THE t-shirt sponsor at their Annual State Competition over the last several years. The sponsorship amount is a mere $200.00 each. Your company logo will be proudly displayed on the back of the t-shirt and your company name listed on the Technology Council website. To become a sponsor and pay with a credit card, 
Meet The State Chamber Of Oklahoma’s NEW President-Elect, Fred Morgan, during the February 26th Small Business Council luncheon meeting! He is very excited about this new opportunity, and wants to meet and visit with you! Since this Small Business Council meeting is scheduled immediately after the first major legislative committee deadline, you will also learn from our lobbyists about the KEY business and economic development measures under consideration by this year’s Oklahoma Legislature. For more information and to register for the meeting, click 
