More Options for Schools + More Unified Leadership for OK
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On Thursday, the Governor issued an
election proclamation
to put State Question 801 on the Nov. 6 ballot. If passed, SQ 801 would allow local school districts greater flexibility to use
existing
property tax revenue for operational needs and expenses, including teacher pay and textbooks. Currently, a portion of local funds are confined to a separate “building fund,” which restricts usage to a narrow list of expenses. This is problematic for school districts with good facilities that would prefer to spend their local dollars in classrooms.
Case in point: Due to a surplus in their tightly restricted building fund,
Catoosa Public Schools
recently installed a $1.5 million press box with an elevator—even as they were forced to reduce staff and move to four-day school weeks due to insufficient funding for operations and salaries.
"I want those school districts to have the ability to utilize some of their ad valorem dollars for operating expenses," said state Sen. Stephanie Bice, one of the bill’s authors. "That does not mean they would not be also utilizing them for building or infrastructure costs, but this would allow them the flexibility to also utilize it for teacher salaries."
SQ 801 means more flexibility for local schools to make decisions based on what makes sense for their students, teachers and district.
If local districts prefer to keep their current set-up, SQ 801 also gives them that option. The State Chamber strongly supports this measure which aligns with reforms outlined in our
OK2030 strategic vision plan
.
In addition, the Governor announced last week that another OK2030 policy recommendation, State Question 798, will appear on the Nov. ballot. SQ 798 would allow the governor and lieutenant governor to run on the same ticket. This promotes greater unity and constructive collaboration to tackle our state’s challenges and move Oklahoma forward.
We also expect a third OK2030 recommendation—State Question 800—to be placed on the Nov. ballot. SQ 800 would help stabilize our state budget during inevitable economic fluctuations and downturns—without raising taxes.
If you would like to request a speaker from the State Chamber to come speak to your organization about all the state questions expected to be on the November ballot, please contact
Rachael Hunter
.
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Board of Health Makes More SQ 788 Changes
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On Wednesday, the Oklahoma Board of Health met once again to repeal some of the SQ 788 regulations they previously passed. The ban of smokable products and the requirement of having a pharmacist at every dispensary were overturned and the Board also eliminated the limits on the percentage of THC and allowed dispensaries to set their own hours. “There are some issues and some gaps the Legislature will have to address but this allows the Health Department to get off the ground,” said Health Department Interim Commissioner Tom Bates. On Thursday, the Health Department posted applications online for licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana and they will start accepting those applications on Aug. 25. To read the full story, click
here
.
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Our free mobile DC Fly-In app is now available! Thanks to our app sponsor, Acorn Growth Companies, you can quickly access agendas, speakers, attendees, sponsors, interactive maps and much more.
To download the app on your mobile device, search State Chamber Events in the App or Google Play store. Then open the app and tap on 2018 Washington D.C. Fly-In to get started.
If you haven’t registered yet, you can still do so! At our signature DC Fly-In event, you’ll hear from our Congressional delegation and national thought leaders on pivotal issues impacting businesses now including trade, tariffs, education, net neutrality and energy policy. We’ll also examine how the midterm elections and recent Supreme Court activity could shape the future of our state and nation. Our DC Fly-In event also delivers engaging sessions, high caliber networking and a deeper understanding of the dynamics impacting business and politics today.
Members: $150 Non-Members: $200
*Special Dinner Event: $200 (*This event is not included in your registration fee and requires purchase of a separate ticket)
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Corporation Commission Task Force Meets
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About a year ago and with the support of the State Chamber, Gov. Mary Fallin ordered a task force to examine the Corporation Commission’s mission, performance, funding and structure.
The resulting Second Century Corporation Commission task force, led by Oklahoma’s Secretary of Energy and Environment Michael Teague, had its third meeting on Wednesday. At the meeting, the National Academy of Public Administration presented key observations, including that the Oklahoma Corporation Commission's responsibilities are considerably broader than those of similar agencies in other states.
Formal recommendations on how to modernize the Corporation Commission will be made at the next task force meeting in November.
Read more or see the
PowerPoint presentation.
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State Chamber
Medical Marijuana Working Groups
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On Thursday, we held our first working group for State Chamber members to discuss SQ 788. Right now, we are working to: 1) review and analyze materials given to the legislative task force thus far, and 2) create a checklist and prioritize items that the business community wants to see in any future legislation that is introduced.
If you’re interested in joining our working group for future meetings, please email
Toni Schwarz
to have your name added to the list. Things are ever changing in the new medical marijuana industry, so please sign up for this working group if you want to stay abreast of developments and be involved in future conversations.
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Health care affordability and accessibility affects businesses of all types, shapes and sizes. The State Chamber is planning a Health Care Summit this fall to highlight innovations that will shape the future of the industry and to discuss potential reforms to improve Oklahoma’s health care.
The Health Care Summit is an all-day event on October 10 at the new Hilton Garden Inn – Edmond Conference Center (2833 Conference Drive, Edmond, OK 73034). This event is designed for State Chamber member companies, Oklahoma elected officials and others interested in learning more about health care reforms that offer innovative solutions and create unique partnerships in the health care arena. Registration and more details are coming soon!
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Sunni Pouncil, a Realtor for UR Unique Home powered by eXp Realty, is launching a work-life benefit called Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH). With EAH, you can help your employees meet their housing needs while at the same time helping your business recruit and retain workers, improve employee loyalty and productivity, generate positive publicity and improve the bottom line.
Sunni’s team includes a nonprofit organization and a few lenders. Collectively, they have the expertise to provide you an overview of EAH. They focus on three types of EAH benefit options: homebuyer workshops conducted by Sunni and her team, one-on-one counseling provided by certified housing counselors and employer-provided financial assistance. Your company can offer one or all of these benefits, and your involvement and financial commitment can be as little or as much as you desire.
Learn more
.
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Our Event Sponsorship Program offers pre-purchased registrations to our four membership-wide annual events (Legislative Reception, Annual Meeting, Golf Classic at Karsten Creek and Public Affairs Forum) plus recognition as an event sponsor at these events.
It's a great way to get your company's name in front of hundreds of Oklahoma's most distinguished business leaders.
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PO Box 53217 | Oklahoma City, OK 73152
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