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February 5, 2010
10th Circuit Court Of Appeals Rules On Immigration Lawsuit – Earlier this week the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling on a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The State Chamber, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, the Tulsa Metro Chamber, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association and the Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association, regarding the constitutionality of some elements of HB 1804 passed in 2007. In a news release issued by the U.S. Chamber, they stated that the court, “…ruled that federal immigration law preempts most of the employer provisions of an Oklahoma immigration statute. However, the court split three ways on whether federal law bars states from mandating use of the voluntary E-Verify federal pilot program. The decision highlights the urgent need for clarification on the issue from the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Economic Development Day at the Capitol – the Oklahoma Professional Economic Development Council (OEDC) will be hosting Economic Development Day at the Capitol on February 16, 2010 beginning at 10:00 a.m. In addition to ED Day, the Capitol will be buzzing because it is also Manufacturing Day at the Capitol as well as Higher Ed Day. To register for ED Day, contact Danna Fowble or Larisha Peterman. Nano Grant Workshops Are Next Week for details go to www.oknano.com Two Great Budget Opportunities - Now that 2010 is here and business prospects are increasing, how do you plan for your salary administration budget? The State Chamber has two economical opportunities: First, The State Chamber has recently released the 2009 Oklahoma Compensation & Benefits Survey™ for purchase. This comprehensive survey reports compensation data from 119 companies covering more than 22,500 employees in 207 jobs across the State. Click here for more information. Second, attend one of two 2010 Basic Compensation Workshops planned for Tulsa on February 24th and Oklahoma City on February 25th. (Please note that these Workshops were originally scheduled for January 27th & 28th, and have been rescheduled due to inclement weather). This workshop will guide you through the Survey and provide 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. Five (5) HRCI credit hours have been approved for the workshop. Small Business Council Meeting Scheduled – The State Chamber of Oklahoma’s Small Business Council has scheduled a luncheon meeting for Friday, February 26th, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm at The State Chamber’s offices (330 NE 10th Street in Oklahoma City). This meeting, featuring a roundtable discussion with The State Chamber’s lobby team, will occur the day after the deadline, whereby bills will have been heard in their respective committees. We NEED the Council’s input into those measures (such as workers’ compensation reform, taxation and healthcare) which are important to the small business community and the impact they may have on economic growth and business prosperity. To register for this meeting, click here.
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CHAMPION INVESTORS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Granite Advisor |
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Legislators Convene With Budget On Their Minds – The Second Session of the 52nd Oklahoma Legislature convened Monday, and to the surprise of no one, budget considerations were on everyone’s minds. Facing a billion dollar budget deficit leading to significant cuts in state agency funding this fiscal year and an FY 2011 budget projected to be in the range of $5.3 billion, some 20 percent less than this year, lawmakers must deal with a no-win situation. Proposals ranging from consolidating a variety of state agencies, to legislation requiring more transparency in government spending, to reviewing tax credits and incentives have all been introduced. The State Chamber will work to see that no essential economic development incentives are eliminated. During times of economic stress, incentives should be reinforced in order to maintain and create more jobs and capital investments, rather than eliminated.
Now Here’s A Surprise – According to The Washington Post, MoveOn.org is launching a series of hard-hitting ads this week targeting three U.S. Senate Democrats - Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas); Mary Landrieu (Louisiana); and Ben Nelson (Nebraska) - who are co-sponsors of a resolution by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that blocks the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Consumers and the nation’s business community need to thank these senators for standing tall against this nontransparent tactic to advance the far left environmental agenda when the Senate refused to pass cap and trade legislation.
NAM Hosts Dialogue With Congressman John Sullivan - On Wednesday, February 17, Navistar, Inc. and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) will host Oklahoma Congressman John Sullivan for a Congressional Dialogue to discuss key manufacturing issues. The program will be held at the Navistar, Inc. facility in Tulsa and will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.
Manufacturers’ Day At The Capitol Set For Tuesday, February 16th - With more than 131,000 Oklahomans working for manufacturers in Oklahoma, we know that manufacturing contributes more than $15.5 billion to our gross state product – more than 11 percent of Oklahoma’s total gross product. We also know that manufacturing jobs pay better than other sectors and create more jobs than other sectors of our economy. The State Chamber, serving as Oklahoma’s Manufacturers’ Association, is encouraging all manufacturers to come to the Governor’s large conference room – 2nd floor of the State Capitol, at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday February 16th, pick up some materials and go visit with their legislators about their key issues. Click 
