In the last decade, Oklahoma has dramatically improved its business climate. More than ever, states like ours are not only competing with surrounding states, but the entire world, for jobs and capital investment.

We must continue to be competitive in the global economy. Our state leaders and people recognized this in 2001 when Oklahoma became the 22nd state to adopt a right-to-work law. Along with reducing taxes, business incentives and workers’ compensation and lawsuit reforms, it has served as a catalyst for economic development and growth.Now, Indiana is taking up the right-to-work battle. I recently had the opportunity to share with the Indiana Legislature Oklahoma’s positive economic growth statistics. Some important statistics I referenced in my testimony include the following:

• Six months after Oklahoma passed right to work, the state went from 40th in the nation to first in terms of new job creation.
• In 2000, Oklahoma ranked 43rd in the nation in per-capita personal income. The most recent data (2010) shows Oklahoma now 33rd in the nation.
• Oklahoma has gone from a per-capita personal income of $24,410 in 2000 to $36,421 in 2010.
• Oklahoma real per-capita gross domestic product (2000-2010) shows the 15th-fastest growth in the nation.
• Oklahoma per-capita personal income (2000-2010) shows the 11th-fastest growth in the nation.
• Oklahoma median household income (2000-2010) shows the fourth-fastest growth in the nation.

Of course, some of the same old falsehoods are being used in Indiana today that were argued 10 years ago here. The statistics listed above show that “right to work for less” is pure rhetoric.

Contradicting the claim that right to work is bad public policy is the fact that not a single state with such a law has repealed it.

Simply put, right to work has been another valuable economic development tool to help attract jobs and growth to our state. But as other states look at similar laws and other economic development incentives, it is critical that we continue a dynamic discussion about ways to keep Oklahoma competitive. This legislative session, we need to protect business incentives that create capital and jobs, fund the state’s closing fund and improve Oklahoma’s tax system. Our work is far from finished.