Chamber sets priorities for 2024 legislative session

Oklahoma state Capitol building

The Chamber’s board of directors recently adopted a comprehensive set of public policy priorities heading into the 2024 legislative session, which are crucial to creating a strong future for Oklahoma businesses.

Below is an excerpt of key priorities. View the entire list at okcchamber.com/legislative.

County Government Reform

The Chamber supports empowering Oklahoma counties to alter their form of government to meet their unique needs.

Economic Development Programs

The Chamber supports retaining and strengthening the state’s premier economic/community development programs which are critical in attracting new businesses to the state, assisting existing companies expand and encouraging investment in communities across the state. Following are the key programs the Chamber will seek to protect and improve:

• Quality Jobs Act, 21st Century QJA, Small Employer QJA and the Prime Contractor QJA
• Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit
• Investment/New Jobs Tax Credit
• Historical Building Rehabilitation Tax Credit
• Cybersecurity/Software Engineer Tax Credit
• Five-year Ad Valorem Abatement and Sales Tax Exemption for Manufacturing Facilities
• Regional Home Office Insurance Premium Tax Credit
• Tourism Development Act
• Filmed in Oklahoma Act
  
  

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence technologies hold immense potential to revolutionize various industries by implementing advancements that can improve business efficiencies and our quality of life. Embracing this transformative technology requires a balanced approach. Oklahoma should foster a supportive environment that both safeguards our fundamental rights and catalyzes the innovation, development and adoption of AI while encouraging a federal solution.

Gun Legislation

The Chamber supports the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the responsible expansion of gun-owner’s rights in Oklahoma. However, the Chamber will oppose legislation that would allow open/concealed carry of guns into local athletic and high-economic impact events (many of which are required by contract to prohibit weapons), including horse shows, the Oklahoma State Fair, Olympic Qualifiers on the Oklahoma River, high school and collegiate sporting events.

The Chamber will oppose legislation to allow guns to be carried on college campuses, as well as legislation to prohibit state and local governments from contracting with companies based upon the company’s position on firearms.

The Chamber will lead the efforts of the “Oklahomans for Business and Property Owners’ Rights” coalition to defend against harmful gun legislation and work with the National Rifle Association, the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association and other stakeholders to improve and clarify existing gun laws while, at the same time, ensuring the protection of property rights and public safety.

Criminal Justice/Sentencing Reform

The Chamber supports legislation and funding for sentencing reforms and rehabilitation programs to ease the financial drain on Oklahoma’s criminal justice system, lessen the burden on jails and prisons throughout the state and allow nonviolent offenders to enter the workforce more quickly.

The Chamber supports full funding for the County Community Safety Investment Fund, managed by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services pursuant to the terms of SB 844 (2023) and State Questions 780 and 781 (2016).

The Chamber also supports: 1) continuing smart sentencing reform; 2) improving bail and jail practices; 3) making reentry and supervision improvements to reduce fines and fees, enhance workforce opportunities and increase public safety; and 4) securing additional treatment funding.

Congressionally Directed Spending Requests/Appropriations/Federal Grants

The Chamber will collaborate with our Congressional delegation to aggressively pursue Congressionally Directed Spending Requests, federal appropriations and federal grants related to the Chamber’s (and its member/partner organizations) economic development, transportation/infrastructure, aerospace/defense, education, healthcare, criminal justice and other priorities.

Immigration Reform

The Chamber supports federal immigration reform to secure the borders and establish reasonable and effective visa policies/procedures to attract essential workers to the United States.

Early Childhood Care and Education

Having access to high-quality early childhood care and education programs encourages parental/guardian employment, which creates more economic security and better opportunities for families. The Chamber recognizes that finding solutions to ongoing childcare needs will require collaboration with federal, state and local governments, business and industry, philanthropic and nonprofit community and education providers. The Chamber steadfastly supports early childhood education, birth to eight years old, and full funding of pre-K and kindergarten programs. Targeted spending on our youngest children is simply a smart investment.

Teacher Preparation and Recruitment

Oklahoma has a teacher shortage. Oklahoma needs to improve our teacher preparation pipeline systems to train, attract and retain more high-quality teachers. We support legislation to:

• Reward teacher performance and experience.
• Support specialized “grow-your-own” training initiatives such as the OKCPS Foundation Bilingual & Diversity Teacher Pipeline program (supported by UCO, OCCC, Rose State and OSU-OKC) and UCO’s Urban Teacher Preparation.
• Implement teacher retention and mentor teacher programs.
• Support continued investment in the “Inspired to Teach” scholarship and incentive program.
• Increase access to STEM education and training.
• Support adjustments to the teacher retirement system and other strategies that help encourage retention and re-entry of experienced teachers and educators.
• Encourage development of programs that encourage students to pursue teaching as a profession. This should include increased public relations and advertising campaigns to recruit teachers. It may also include various programs that offer students tutoring experience, such as Oklahoma’s Math Tutoring Corps, Educators Rising and Teach for America’s Ignite Fellowship.
  
  

Higher Education – Reform and Investment

The Chamber recognizes a high-quality higher education system is critical to economic growth. Oklahoma City continues to struggle with meeting the workforce needs of its employers, particularly in Critical Occupations (as defined by www.oklahomaworks.gov/criticaloccupations). The business community, governments and higher education continue to face financial challenges. We all must be innovative and flexible to meet the needs of customers and achieve our mission. This includes the development of partnerships that produce tech transfer and research partnerships to generate private, federal and foundation revenue.

We urge the higher education system to pursue significant reform to better meet employer needs.

Medicaid Reform

As the state continues to improve health outcomes and modernize payment models to incentivize value within the state’s Medicaid system, the Chamber supports the implementation of the state’s Medicaid Managed Care Model. We further believe this model is the most effective means to address the state’s total health care needs on a systemwide basis.

Network Protection

The Chamber opposes legislation, restrictions, regulations and taxes which would eliminate the incentive for medical providers to contract with managed care networks and, as a result, potentially frustrate efforts at cost and quality control and ultimately deny consumers the benefits of cost-reducing arrangements with providers.

The Chamber further opposes legislation that would interfere with an employer's ability to offer affordable health benefits due to a reduced ability to control benefit plans relating to prescription drugs.

The Chamber also supports the appropriate expansion of existing technology platforms, such as telemedicine and telehealth, and data platforms to enhance access to health care for Oklahomans.

Child Care

The Chamber supports targeted policies designed to increase the availability of non-mandated, high-quality childcare options to help generate increased workforce development. 

Major State Transportation Projects

The Chamber supports a continued focus on improvements, mobility and traffic management on the urban Oklahoma City interstate system (I-35, I-44, I-40, I-235) to promote economic development and, therefore, will advocate for full funding and timely completion of work on the following major interchanges/projects:

• I-240/I-35 (Crossroads Interchange).
• Major I-35 corridor improvements from 63rd Street NE/I-44 Interchange north to Waterloo Road, to include the Turner Turnpike Interchange.
• I-44/I-40 (K Interchange/Near State Fairgrounds) West to MacArthur on I-40.
• In support of U.S. Air Force mission-critical growth and expansion objectives at Tinker Air Force Base, necessary improvements including increased access at Douglas Boulevard, and expansion of I-40 facility to six lanes from Douglas Boulevard to Shawnee.
• I-35/I-40 Dallas Junction and I-35 (including Oklahoma River bridges).
• Future development of I-44 corridor from I-40 to SH-62, including SH 152/Airport Road, (southwest OKC to Newcastle) to better provide for future mobility needs due to ongoing commercial expansion.
• I-35 corridor assessment to address growth on I-35 from the Red River north to the Oklahoma River.
  
  

ODOT Eight-Year Plan

The Chamber supports providing adequate annual dedicated funding necessary to preserve and implement the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s eight-year construction work plan. Furthermore, the Chamber will strongly oppose any effort to divert dedicated transportation funding to other areas of government.

Heartland Flyer

The Chamber supports protecting and expanding passenger rail service as an important transportation option for both rural and urban Oklahomans. The Chamber will work with the Oklahoma congressional delegation, the Oklahoma state Legislature, ODOT, Amtrak, the City of Oklahoma City, Class 1 Railroads and the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) to oppose efforts to reduce or eliminate state or federal funding received by Oklahoma to operate the Heartland Flyer Amtrak service to Fort Worth, Texas. Moreover, the Chamber supports ongoing efforts by ODOT to negotiate with the State of Texas and Amtrak to ensure Amtrak can be maintained as the passenger rail carrier.

The Chamber is taking active steps with our partners to pursue the objective of extending the Heartland Flyer Amtrak service to Newton, Kansas, which would connect Oklahoma City to Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago and other locations on the national Amtrak system. Furthermore, the Chamber supports the designation of the entire Heartland Flyer line (Fort Worth – Oklahoma City – Newton – National Network) as a national Amtrak route within the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Rail Administration’s specific “Corridor Identification Program.” This designation would serve to assist with the federal/state burden/cost-sharing and would strategically address a significant gap in the national Amtrak system. 

Oklahoma River Bridges

The Chamber supports construction of iconic bridges on Interstate 35 across the Oklahoma River. Replacing existing river bridges with landmark bridges would showcase Oklahoma City at the confluence of two major U.S. interstate highways (Interstates 35/40) and facilitate increased sporting events and tourism in the Horizons District, Boathouse District, the Chickasaw Nation’s First Americans Museum/OKANA resort, as well as enhance connectivity across the river. 

Mass Transit/Commuter Rail

The Chamber further supports efforts by the RTA, consisting of core central Oklahoma cities/population centers, to launch future regional transit services. The Chamber will work with the RTA, Oklahoma State Legislature, COTPA, municipal governments, ODOT and Class 1 railroads to conduct early-stage planning for introducing commuter rail service into downtown Oklahoma City from Norman and Edmond with potential alternative transportation options to Tinker AFB. Further planning consideration should be given to the potential future expansion of rail service to Will Rogers World Airport, with benefits for downtown access/convention center opportunities, and Yukon.

Surface Transportation Funding

The Chamber ultimately supports adequate funding for annual reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program, with the continuation of a responsible formula allocation to the states.

The Chamber will work with the Oklahoma congressional delegation and ODOT to secure a permanent funding solution for the Federal Highway Trust Fund (including mass transit programs).

The Chamber supports adequate funding levels to properly maintain the national transportation system.

Federal Capital Improvement Grants

The Chamber supports continued funding for the following federal grant programs, including, but not limited to, BIP, MEGA, SMALL STARTS, NEW STARTS, INFRA, RAISE, bus, and bus facilities grants.

Mike Monroney Center (FAA)/Associated Federal Agencies

The Chamber supports the continued viability of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center as a strategically important national asset for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and further supports the continuation of its other essential federal government activities in the state.

The Chamber will speak on behalf of its members at the state Capitol throughout the legislative session. To stay informed of their efforts, sign up for alerts at okcbusinessadvocate.com.

This article originally appeared in the January 2024 edition of VeloCity newsletter.