2013 Legislative Policies
Business Climate/Competiveness
Taxation Initiatives:
- Eliminate franchise tax for small businesses
Workers’ Compensation Initiatives:
- Rewrite workers’ compensation laws to move Oklahoma from a judicial system to an administrative model of governance
- Support legislation allowing Oklahoma employers to obtain alternative coverage in providing workers’ compensation, as long as they provide equivalent benefits to protect their workers
- Change mediation charges so both parties split the fee of the mediator
- Amend “value-added” section to delete requirement that employer admit claim
- Allow employers to replace employees after 12 months of not working due to a workers’ compensation claim and redefine penalties in cases of retaliatory discharge
- Increase the “pool” of judicial candidates available to the Governor for possible appointment to the Workers’ Compensation Court
- Require the W.C. Court to notify both the employer and the employer’s insurance company when the employee files an “Employees’ First Notice of Accidental Injury and Claim”
Lawsuit Reform Initiatives:
- Support restricting lawsuits when the consumer misuses the product
- Support making asbestos bankruptcy trust claims transparent
- Support placing lawsuit lenders under the Uniform Consumer Credit Code regulations
- Support transparency in the hiring (and paying for) of outside attorneys by the Oklahoma Attorney General
HR/Labor Law/Unemployment Compensation Initiatives:
- Amend Oklahoma’s Unemployment Insurance “Misconduct” definition
Health & Wellness Initiatives:
- Improve the InsureOklahoma! Premium assistance program designed to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses
- Support effective incentives and initiatives designed to enhance medical research, improve service delivery and increase access to health care
- Continue to support a long-term solution to address full reimbursement funding for Medicaid services
- Support legislation requiring a cost/benefit analysis to accompany any proposed health insurance benefit mandate
- Oppose government mandated health insurance benefit coverage while supporting legislation expanding “mandate-free” health care plan options
- 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 efforts by Oklahoma's leaders to develop an Oklahoma plan to extend health insurance coverage to Oklahoma's uninsured residents and cover the costs of uncompensated care that is currently shifted to responsible employers and health care providers. Acceptance of federal funds should be considered
Economic Development, Innovation & Technology
Aerospace Initiatives:
- Maintain Oklahoma aerospace engineering tax credits that create high-paying, high-skilled jobs
- Support development of Oklahoma’s strengths and resources as a prime location for development, testing and flight of Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Support funding for the Center for Aerospace Supplier Quality (CASQ) to engage additional small businesses and manufacturers in aerospace and military supplier companies
Manufacturing Initiatives:
- Update the definition of “manufacturing” to include custom manufacturing and eliminate the requirement to maintain an inventory
- Move determination of “manufacturer” to Department of Commerce who will direct the Tax Commission to issue the Sales Tax Exemption Permit
Retail Initiatives:
- Support the expansion of Oklahoma’s “sales tax holiday” to include school supplies, computers and accessories as well as Energy Star appliances
- Oppose measures that impose statutory penalties for selling legal over-the-counter products.
Business Recruitment, Retention & Expansion Initiatives:
- Support the passage of an incentive for new capital investments built on the principles of the Quality Jobs program that includes accountability and transparency
- Support changes to the existing Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Article 9 to respond to issues that have arisen in practice following a decade of experience with the 1998 version adopted by all 50 states, including greater guidance as to the name of an individual debtor to be provided on a financing statement
Energy & Natural Resources Initiatives:
- Oppose any effort to dilute the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s (OWRB) responsibility for water planning to ensure certainty for Oklahoma businesses when working with the 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 completion of statutorily-required groundwater basin studies and equal proportionate share determinations
- Support funding mechanisms for water resource infrastructure development
- Support implementation of water reuse and brackish water treatment technologies for viable water supply source
- Support efforts to expand development of affordable and functional compressed natural gas (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
Technology & Bioscience Research Initiatives:
- Promote technology neutrality and support a level playing field regarding public procurement practices and processes
- Support the limitation of liability for private vendors in state contracts
- Support efforts to reduce costs of government that do not limit quality, effectiveness or efficiency of providing high quality services taxpayers expect
Workforce Development
Workforce Development Initiatives:
- Prioritize education funding for programs and reforms designed to enhance access to current and future Oklahoma workforce needs
- Protect common education reforms designed to enhance growth, learning and proficiencies needed to ensure students are career or college ready
- Eliminate unnecessary rules and regulations to provide school districts flexibility in addressing their needs
- Expand charter school funding and sponsorship opportunities while requiring them to perform to high standards
- Support the creation of Recovery School Districts which will reduce regulation and encourage greater innovation in the classroom for the state’s most underperforming schools
- Support school district performance pay for teacher and professional staff which is tied to outcomes and standards
- Support alternative teaching certification programs designed to enhance access to quality teachers in the common education system
- Support effective and/or expanded time on task for academic study, career pathways and extended learning programs
- Provide incentives for businesses participating in career pathways or career exploration programs
- Enhance dropout recovery programs
- Support evidence-based and private sector reinforced methods that improve early childhood development and Pre-K programs
- Enhance accessibility to skills certification programs tied to high demand areas of Oklahoma's economy
Infrastructure
Infrastructure Initiatives:
- Work 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 efforts to expedite the critical completion of constructing and implementing continuous operation of weigh stations in order to protect Oklahoma roads and bridges from unauthorized overweight freight
- Support the commitment of motor fuel taxes, vehicle user fees and oversize and overweight permit fees and assessments to be used strictly for transportation purposes
- Support increased allocation of state revenues for public transit to meet citizen demand