State Issues

• Support efforts to promote efficient education innovation through initiatives like the Oklahoma School Performance and Innovation Grant Program.
  
  The Tulsa Metro Chamber supports efforts to increase education innovation and effectiveness on a local level in Oklahoma.  Initiatives like the Oklahoma School Performance and Innovation grant program encourage school districts to actively seek creative approaches in providing a 21^st century education for Oklahoma’s students and maximizing available education resources.

• Support efforts to increase higher education enrollment and graduation rates in Oklahoma.
  
  A talented and educated workforce is perhaps the most important element in economic development and job growth for Oklahoma. Currently, only 30 percent of Oklahoma’s young adults have a college degree – well below the national average of 38 percent.  This deficit is expected to continue into the future, with only 6 percent of Oklahoma’s ninth graders on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in four years.  The Tulsa Metro Chamber supports all efforts to both increase Oklahomans’ access to higher education and vocational schools, and increase their chances of graduation once enrolled.

• Protect necessary and beneficial tax incentives and eliminate ineffective incentives through a process of periodic review.
  
  Oklahoma spends billions of dollars annually on over 450 tax incentives, designed to promote economic development and encourage business relocation to the state.  When used effectively, tax credits and economic incentives are vital tools in attracting and retaining high quality businesses in Oklahoma.  However, the state has lacked both defined standards for determining a tax incentive’s effectiveness and a comprehensive review process for regular evaluation. 
  
  House Bill 1285, passed in 2011, is a strong first step in determining the value of tax incentives to Oklahoma.  The Tulsa Metro Chamber strongly supports institutionalizing this review process, ensuring it will be undertaken at regular intervals with proscribed guidelines for determining tax incentive effectiveness.  These steps are crucial for ensuring the responsible use of Oklahomans’ tax dollars and guaranteeing the state’s competitive advantage in economic development.

• Maintain Oklahoma’s progress in improving its business climate by protecting recent workers compensation and legal systems reforms.
  
  2011 was an historic year for workers compensation and lawsuit reform in the state of Oklahoma.  Comprehensive legislation resulted in Oklahoma’s workers compensation rate declining for its first time in eight years, providing a stable climate for job creation in the state.  The Tulsa Metro Chamber strongly supports preserving the integrity of these reforms and ensuring these positive shifts continue into the future. 

• Support legislative initiatives designed to enhance the market access for alternative and traditional fuels produced in Oklahoma. Our support includes efforts to promote the use of hydraulic fracturing, and the construction of necessary pipeline infrastructure to provide transportation services for this increased production of traditional fuels.
  
  The Tulsa Metro Chamber strongly supports initiatives that preserve Oklahoma’s role as a chief producer, refiner, and transporter of traditional and alternative fuels.  Oklahoma is strongly positioned to both capitalize on the nation’s growing need for traditional energy resources; and also play a leading role in the use of natural gas, wind power, and other alternative fuels.  Safe methods for the production, gathering, and use of these resources should be preserved and enhanced through the state’s legislative initiatives, economic incentives, and infrastructure improvements.

• Maintain Oklahoma’s friendly tax environment for businesses and economic development through the prevention of an increased assessment of intangible ad valorem taxes.  Should changes to Oklahoma’s tax code fail to materialize during the 2012 legislative session, the Tulsa Metro Chamber supports the extension of the Business Activity Tax in lieu of additional ad valorem taxes on intangible property.
  
  The Tulsa Metro Chamber encourages the state legislature to preserve our business-friendly tax environment by preventing any increased assessment of intangible ad valorem taxes on Oklahoma’s businesses. Any increase in the state’s current collection of ad valorem taxes on intangible property presents immense complications for value determination and collection, and would represent a significant tax increase on Oklahoma’s businesses.  If a solution to the intangible property tax problem isn’t reached in the 2012 legislative session, the BAT should be retained for an additional year as a temporary solution in maintaining Oklahoma’s friendly tax environment for businesses and economic development.

• Support methods to expedite the critical need for weigh station completion and weigh-in-motion infrastructure that protect road and bridge quality from overweight freight traveling through the state.
  
  For years, Oklahoma has lacked weigh stations to effectively monitor freight shipments within our state, and ensure they are meeting weight and axle restrictions.  Oklahoma has taken strong steps forward in improving its transportation infrastructure, including the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s highly-successful eight year plan and a greater emphasis on rebuilding our structurally-deficient bridges.  Completing our weigh stations as soon as possible is a key step in preserving these investments. Current plans call for eight weigh-in-motion stations to be strategically placed throughout the state, and constructed over a multi-year timeframe.  The Tulsa Metro Chamber supports methods to expedite their construction and ensure their implementation as soon as possible.

• Support legislation modifying the definition of “high priority bridges” to include consideration of heavy haul corridors.
  
  A key requirement for a thriving manufacturing sector is the ability to ship goods from where they’re created to where they’re needed.  Heavy haul corridors are vital in this effort, providing safe transfer routes with fewer costs and delays from permitting and bridge capacity requirements.  For many of these heavy haul corridors, bridges are the determining factor in whether the route is safe for heavy loads.  Modifying the definition of “high priority bridges” to place an emphasis on heavy haul corridors will prioritize construction along these routes, and ensure full delivery options for our manufacturing sector.   

• Support the Bridge Improvements and Turnpike Modernization Plan proposed by Governor Fallin to repair or replace all of Oklahoma’s structurally-deficient bridges by 2019, and expand the Creek and Kilpatrick turnpikes. 
  
  Governor Fallin recently announced a bold proposal to address Oklahoma’s crumbling transportation infrastructure, focusing upon its weakest link: our high number of structurally-deficient bridges.  These are crucial not only for the transportation of goods and services, but for the safety of Oklahoma’s citizens.  The Governor’s plan also advocates using transportation revenue for transportation projects by moving 10 percent of the state’s motor vehicle fees from General Revenue, ensuring the proposal is revenue-neutral.  The Tulsa Metro Chamber strongly supports these initiatives, provided there is no negative impact on education funding.

• Work with all significant stakeholders to examine the benefits and consequences of updating the state’s liquor laws.
  
  Tulsa Metro Chamber supports working with all industry stakeholders to update the state’s liquor laws, including the development of a modern system for high point beer and wine sales in grocery stores and other retail establishments. 

• Support comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level and oppose further state legislation related to immigration reform. Support federal measures to secure borders, establish reasonable and efficient visa policies and procedures, and comprehensive reform at the federal level that recognizes the need for essential workers so the U.S. can continue to attract the best and brightest talent from around the world.
  
  The Tulsa Metro Chamber opposes illegal immigration.  We support an improved immigration process that promotes the ability of students, workers and employers to enter the United States lawfully, and allows us to recruit the best and the brightest talent from around the world.  However, we strongly believe that policy should be set at the federal level, and that any state-based solutions implemented in Oklahoma risk placing the state and its businesses at a competitive economic disadvantage.  We therefore oppose state-based immigration reform that would add increased costs and burdens to Oklahoma’s businesses compared to their regional counterparts.    

• Encourage use of the Oklahoma Quality Events Incentive Act to support Oklahoma’s tourism and convention industry. 
  
  The Quality Events Incentive Act was created by the state legislature in 2010 to encourage large-scale conventions and events that provide substantial revenue to both the state and local governmental entities.  The Tulsa Metro Chamber supports robust funding and use of the Act to facilitate local communities’ securing of national and international events, and ensure Oklahoma’s competitiveness in attracting visitors, events, and conventions.