State Issues
Economic Development & Taxation
- Urge lawmakers to make certain the intangible personal property tax issue is permanently addressed
- Support the restructuring of Oklahoma's tax system to allow for the gradual reduction of the state's personal income tax with assurance that the tax burden will not be shifted onto businesses, including any new taxes on services
- Encourage the funding and maintenance of the "Governor's Quick Action Closing Fund" to enable the state to respond quickly to extraordinary economic opportunities and compete effectively for projects that involve significant capital investment and the creation of high wage jobs
- Support economic development incentives that are based on net-benefit or return on investment to the state
- Support efforts to protect the Ad Valorem Tax Abatement program for qualifying manufacturing facilities and further support initiatives to properly fund local taxing jurisdictions
- Oppose the use of contingency fee arrangements for the conduct of taxpayer audits, as well as arrangements with firms or organizations that rely on economic assumptions rather than on an actual or statistical review of taxpayer's books and records in tax audits and appeals
- Support expansion of the sales tax exemption on materials used in the manufacturing process to include both regular manufacturing and "custom" manufacturing
- Support incentives for new capital investments built on the principles of the Quality Jobs program that includes accountability and transparency
- Work with lawmakers toward matching or increasing the state investment in the EDGE fund endowment and a permanent revenue stream for the fund
Common Education
- Support the implementation of a statewide Teacher and Leader Effectiveness System as developed by the Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (TLE) Commission on the timetable now established in state law
- Support standards defining curriculum and academic requirements for on-line courses meeting content and rigor standards to commensurate with those standards required for Oklahoma public schools
- Support legislation that forgives a percentage of student loans or grants tax incentives for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers who instruct in Oklahoma for the first five years after earning their teacher's certificate
- Oppose any effort to delay or eliminate the implementation of the Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) Act of 2005, which revised the required course proficiency attainment needed to receive a high school diploma
- In order to be prepared for the global job market, support Oklahoma's participation in the development and implmentation of Common core Standards and shared assessments so that our state's curriculum will meet national standards and Oklahoma students' achievement will be benchmarked to those standards
- Support the development of state tests more in line with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and/or American College Testing (ACT) tests and promptly provide results in order to enhance course development, student learning and/or remediation needs
- Support effective time on task for academic study
- Support the enhanced formation and development of charter schools across the state
- Enhance transparency by supporting the requirement that the Oklahoma Department of Education provide on-line access to end-of-instruction test results and each school's Academic Performance Index (API) which is tied to student outcomes and is used to measure the performance and growth of common education schools in Oklahoma
- Work with lawmakers to enhance teacher education preparation requirements in order to increase on-site classroom exposure based on the social demographics of the district in an effort to better promote student learning tied to outcome teaching practices
- Support efforts to ensure Oklahoma honors prior commitments of incentive funding for those teachers who have received National Board Certification
- As funds become available, support incentive and enhanced pay for teacher and professional staff salaries being tied to outcomes and standards and provided to the school site for distribution as determined by the district
- Support the streamlining of school district administrative functions
- Support the elimination of unnecessary rules and regulations to provide school districts the flexibility to address their individual needs
- Support tax credits/deductions and other methods that allow greater flexibility in school choice
- Encourage lawmakers to require that negotiations dealing with government employees and teachers unions are subject to the Open Meetings Act
- Support the removal of the cap on local school district bonding capacity
- Support the promotion of work and/or college ready skills instruction in the common education system
- Support adequate budget and bonding levels for the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM), including the utilization of regional centers
Higher Education
- Support programs designed to enhance the number of Oklahoma college graduates and certificate holders in alignment with our state's workforce needs
- Support tuition-setting authority to be maintained by the state's colleges, universities and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
- Support Oklahoma's Promise as a tuition assistance program for students in low and moderate income families who meet existing standards
- Support full public state matching funds for the current Oklahoma Higher Education Endowed Chairs Program
- Support continued efforts to enhance the accessibility of more affordable text books in institutions of higher learning
- Support the continued funding of the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant (OTEG) program for Oklahoma college students, which awards scholarships to Oklahoma residents enrolled as full-time undergraduates at qualified Oklahoma not-for-profit, private/independent institutions of higher education
Career and Technology Education
- Support a more effective engagement effort to encourage employers to better utilize the career tech system
- Promote the enhancement of high school dropout and credit recovery programs in Oklahoma's technology centers
- Support appropriate funding necessary for the education, training and research services provided to emerging industries and industry clusters, as well as new and expanding businesses
- Support Career Tech appropriations to assist employers impacted by labor market shortages to expand their access to programs and services for students and employers, thereby contributing to the economic development of the State of Oklahoma
General Education Policies
- Support efforts to expand Science, Technology, Engineering and Matematics (STEM) education programs in all levels of education
- Oppose the allowance of firearms on all Oklahoma education campuses with the exception of authorized law enforcement officers retained by the institutions
Workforce Development
- Support efforts to promote the development of a career pathways program designed to educate students on employment opportunities available within our state
- Support the statewide licensing of WorkKeys and KeyTrain skill level evaluations so all common, Career Tech and higher education systems have access
- Support incentives for the development of Certified Work Ready Communities, which encourage individuals to obtain Career Readiness Certificates (CRC's) that allow for the opportunity to prove their skill level
- Support competitive grants through the state's local workforce investment boards, which enhance the provision of scholarships for those in particular fields of study
- Support incentives to maintain and train Oklahoma's workforce
- Support effective efforts that improve early childhood development designed to enhance Oklahoma's future workforce
- Support the re-alignment of available funds for workforce and economic development programs that are critical to the state's future needs
- Encourage lawmakers to pursue initiatives (such as Oklahoma's "Project Boomerang") designed to increase the number of skilled workers and college graduates available for employment in Oklahoma
- Encourage the research industry clusters in order to ascertain the appropriate education and incentive structures necessary to promote the needs of high growth workforce areas
- Support a time-restricted income tax reduction for college graduates who begin their careers in Oklahoma
- Support a tax structure and policies that encourage greater development and use of Oklahoma's natural resources
- Oppose any unnecessary regulatory intrusion into energy industry operations
- Oppose the mandated use of alternative fuels
- Make certain that the update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan meets the needs of Oklahoma's citizens and assures adequate water to grow our state's economy
- Oppose any effort to dilute the OWRB's responsibility for water planning to ensure certainty for Oklahoma businesses when working with the Oklahoma Water Resource Board (OWRB) to obtain water permits
- Oppose any policy that results in less water being available for beneficial use
- Support the retention and protection of the private property aspects of Oklahoma's groundwater law
- Support funding of statutorily-required groundwater basin studies and equal proportionate share determinations
- Support funding mechanisms for water resouce infrastructure development
- Encourage lawmakers to require that administrative eforcement actions be exhausted prior to the state's attorney general filing suit against any industry which is accused of environmental infractions and is regulated under Oklahoma law
- Support efforts to expand development of affordable and functional CNG vehicles and strategically expand CNG fueling infrastructure
- Support the establishment of a formal consultation process with all federally-recognized Oklahoma tribes to amicably resolve the uncertainty regarding tribal water claims
- Support the creation of an Oklahoma Health Insurance Marketplace by utilizing the Guiding Principles established by the Oklahomans for Free Market Health Solutions coalition. These principles embrace the preservation of the private sector insurance market and private business roles in a state-initiated, internet-based health insurance delivery system
- In order to enhance the InsureOklahoma! Program, (1) Work with lawmakers to ensure businesses are not faced with an immedicate loss of premium assistance when enhancing an employee's payroll above current thresholds by supporting the development of a graduated scale of premium assistance levels and pay scale limits; (2) Oppose the diversion of funds from the program; and (3) Support the identification of a sustainable and permanent funding source
- Support incentives and appropriate funding to enhance the number of primary care physicians and health care providers in rural and underserved populations
- Support legislation to allow for the tax deductibility for all out-of-pocket health care related expenses, including premiums, deductibles and co-pays, while opposing the taxation of employer-provided health care
- Support enhancing multi-employer health plans options, especially for small business, as an incentive for employers to offer/retain employee health benefits, provided the plans operate within state laws and regulations
- Recognize and support the continued use of licensed agents and brokers to serve as a bridge between the health insurance provider and the consumer
- Continue to support a long-term solution to address full reimbursement funding for Medicaid services
- While maintaining opposition to state mandated health insurance benefits, support legislation requiring a cost/benefit analysis to accompany any proposed health insurance benefit mandate
- Support legislation allowing the state to create compacts with other states allowing out-of-state health insurance providers to offer plans within the borders of Oklahoma. Such compacts would also allow both out-of-state and in-state regulated providers to offer policies that would not have to conform to state mandated health benefits
- Oppose "any willing provider" as well as other anti-managed care legislation
- Encourage local control by supporting the repeal of preemptive clauses dealing with smoking ordinances
- Preserve the private sector insurance market and private business roles in the state's health care delivery system
- Oppose any efforts that may result in the destabilization of the health insurance market
- In order to help contain health care costs, oppose legislation that would limit access to legal, over-the-counter products
- Support the development of a healthy and productive workforce by eliminating barriers to the efforts of employers and communities in their promotion of positive health habits
- Support the ability (but not mandate) of Oklahoma business to seek and secure a protective order relative to its directors, officers, employees and real and personal property
- Eliminate any potential liability or other tension for an Oklahoma business to comply with a protective order involving two employees
- Support the passage of "paycheck protection" laws
- Support the right of property owners, including employers, to control the presence and/or possession of weapons in and/or on their property, including vehicles, to the extent authorized by law
- Support passage of legislation clarifying non-compete contract law for employee and independent contractors
- Resolve the drug and alcohol testing issue with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
- Support the passage of the "Transparency in Private Attorney Contracting" (TiPAC) Act, which focuses on establishing policies and limits on the use of private contingency fee attorneys on behalf of the state
- Support a requirement that the consumer show "injury in fact" to the consumer, and a loss of money or property to succeed in a consumer lawsuit
- Support the admissibility of evidence of collateral source payments
- Encourage lawmakers to enact broad-based product liability reform
- Support the placement of an eight-year statute of repose on actions based on fault not arising out of contract
- Support the enactment of asbestos bankruptcy trust transparency
- Encourage the amendment of current offer of settlement laws to reflect that any offer of settlement, without regard to "reasonableness," triggers the fee shifting provision of the statute
- Support passage of significant class action reforms
- Work with lawmakers to ensure that the Oklahoma Evidence Code Section 2407 mirrors federal rules of evidence dealing with liability and subsequent remedial measures
- Work with lawmakers to require that prior to any action, claim or motion for discovery against any of the above, a judgment against the corporation or LLC must have been unsatisfied
- Support allowing arbitration agreements to be used in all contract disputes
- Support limiting liability under the Governmental Tort Claims Act for shared-use projects involving local schools property
- Support the allowance of limited liability in contracts with the state
- Work to promote and encourage military retirees to remain in Oklahoma or move here from another state by working toward exempting 100% of military retiree benefits from income tax with a cap of $12,000; current law provides for exemption of 75% of military retiree benefits with a $10,000 cap
- Work to restore funding for the Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission and the Base Protection Bond Fund
- Support the expansion of Oklahoma's annual "sales tax holiday" to include school supplies and Energy Star appliances
- Oppose legislation restricting a retailer's ability to capture license information at the point of sale for consumer credit, loss prevention/return, and I.D. verification procedure
- Oppose measures that impose statutory penalties for selling legal over-the-counter products
- Work with lawmakers to assure that identity theft legislation allows a company to utilize legitimate third party contractors to legally conduct background checks on potential employees
- Support the "Bridge Improvement and Turnpike Modernization Plan" that would, upon completion, bring the number of currently known structurally deficient highway bridges to less than one percent
- Work with lawmakers to preserve Oklahoma's state highway funding and protect the Eight-Year Construction Work Plan and expansion of long-term investments by increasing the cap on the ROADS fund
- Support contractors being allowed to receive limited liability when companies agree to implement increased safety standards agreed to by the contractor and the owner
- Support methods to expedite the critical need for ports of entry (weigh stations) completion in order to protect road and bridge quality from overweight freight traveling through the state
- Support the redirection of the motor vehicle fees to be used strictly for transportation
- Support legislation allowing Oklahoma employers to obtain alternative coverage in providing workers' compensation, as long as they provide equivalent benefits to protect their workers
- Support legislation that allows an employer flexibility in terminating an employee who is off work due to an injury. Specifically, support legislation that would allow an employer to replace a position where the worker cannot work within one year of the date of injury
- Support a requirement that an employee alleging retaliation in a workers' compensation case prove that the filing of the workers' compensation claim was the sole reason for termination
- Ensure workers' compensation, or alternative coverage as allowed in Oklahoma statutes, is the exclusive remedy for any job-related injury or illness