LEGISLATIVE GUIDE 2013 Service that earns awards. (L to R) Kelly Brander, President and CEO, with Brad Krieger, Chairman, Becky Franklin, EVP & Sales Manager, Keith Kersten, Senior VP/Commercial Relationship Manager, Linda Schulz, SVP-Business Banking Manager, Steve Falor, Senior VP/Commercial Relationship Manager Three years in a row. To be recognized by J.D. Power takes a commitment to service. To be recognized three years in a row takes a commitment that only Arvest can make. With our 8 to 8 hours, convenient locations and staff of banking experts, no other bank can offer you the level of service that we can. Contact us today and see for yourself. Oklahoma City Del City Choctaw Moore Norman Yukon Edmond Midwest City Stillwater *Arvest Bank received the highest numerical score among retail banks in the Southwest region in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Retail Banking Satisfaction StudySM. Study based on total responses measuring providers in the Southwest region (AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, UT) and measures opinions of consumers with their primary banking provider. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in January 2012. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. Table of Service that earns awards. CONTENTS Message from the Chair .............. 2 Government Relations Staff ........ 2 2013 Legislative Agenda ............. 3 Legislative Action Center .......... 14 Greater OKC Chamber PAC .... 15 Pro-Business Scorecard ............. 16 Elected Officials Directory ....... 18 Chamber Leadership ................ 36 (L to R) Kelly Brander, President and CEO, with Brad Krieger, Chairman, Becky Franklin, EVP & Sales Manager, Keith Kersten, Senior VP/Commercial Relationship Manager, Linda Schulz, SVP-Business Banking Manager, Steve Falor, Senior VP/Commercial Relationship Manager GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Three years in a row. BENEFACTORS To be recognized by J.D. Power takes a commitment to service. To be recognized three years in a row takes a commitment that only Arvest can make. With our 8 to 8 hours, convenient locations and staff of banking experts, no other bank can offer you the GOVERNMENT RELATIONS level of service that we can. Contact us today and SPONSORS see for yourself. Cox Communications OGE Energy Corp. Oklahoma City Del City Choctaw Moore Norman Yukon Edmond Midwest City Stillwater *Arvest Bank received the highest numerical score among retail banks in the Southwest region in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Retail Banking Satisfaction StudySM. Study based on total responses measuring providers in the Southwest region (AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, UT) and measures opinions of consumers with their primary banking provider. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in January 2012. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. 2013 LEGISLATIVE GUIDE 1 A message from the CHAIR As one of the country’s largest chambers of commerce – committed to representing 5,300 member companies and a workforce of extending this 250,000 – the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber actively momentum by advocates for the passage of pro-business legislation that working with elected will foster an economic climate conducive to further officials to advance growth. The Chamber will also work to prevent the responsible solutions passage of legislation that would negatively impact your to the challenges we company’s bottom line and the Chamber’s ability to face. Because success depends on working together as recruit new companies or help our existing companies a business community, I invite you to take a close look expand. at our legislative priorities and to become involved in the process. When an issue affecting your business or Each legislative session presents an opportunity for the industry is being considered by the legislature, please take Chamber to advocate for sound policy decisions. The 2013 a moment to let your officials know where you stand. By session will be no different as members of the legislature simply making a phone call or sending an email or letter, will assemble in February to address important issues that you will have a direct impact on the legislative process and will impact the future vitality of our region and state. We positively supplement the Chamber’s efforts at the capitol. are fully dedicated to ensuring the voice of the business community is strongly and accurately expressed throughout Sincerely, the legislative process. Greater Oklahoma City is currently experiencing tremendous success that is the result of visionary leadership and an ongoing commitment of community Pete Delaney leaders wholeheartedly focused on working together to Chair, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber make our city a better place. The Chamber is deeply CEO, OGE Energy Corp. CHAMBER GOVERNMENT RELATIONS STAFF Mark VanLandingham Drew Dugan Derek Sparks Sarah Dolan Vice President Vice President Government Relations Government Relations Government Relations & Policy Education & Workforce Manager Executive Assistant mvanlandingham@ Development [email protected] [email protected] okcchamber.com [email protected] 2 2013 LEGISLATIVE GUIDE 2013 Legislative AGENDA Workers’ Compensation Reform • Elected officials should maintain revenue neutrality With Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation insurance rates and adequately fund core government services continuing to escalate and claim costs continuing to be that are essential to economic development, such higher than the national average, significant reforms to as a transportation system that will meet the the state’s workers’ compensation laws must be enacted. state’s infrastructure needs for future expansion, The Chamber will support all changes necessary to an education system that will produce a skilled make Oklahoma economically competitive in this area, workforce and a health-care system that provides including a change to an administrative workers’ adequate care and promotes a healthy workforce. compensation system. • The Chamber supports retaining the state’s premier economic development State Income Tax Reform incentive programs, such as the The Chamber applauds the Quality Jobs Act and the 21st efforts of Gov. Mary Fallin Century Quality Jobs Act, and legislative leaders which are supported by the to reform Oklahoma’s state income tax. tax structure and to • The Chamber will responsibly reduce the only support changes to state income tax to a the income tax code that level that will make our will not have the effect state more competitive. of shifting the burden of However, the Chamber generating or collecting future believes the following tax revenues onto Oklahoma reform guidelines should be companies. followed in order to preserve and enhance our state’s business climate: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Business Incentives • A tax system most conducive to economic success All business incentives should provide the state with will maintain diverse revenue streams to fund core a benefit that out-weighs the cost to the state of the services and provide a broad tax base at the lowest incentive. The Chamber therefore supports increased practical rates, rather than a narrow tax base that scrutiny, transparency and openness in evaluating would subject state revenues to increased economic the effectiveness of the state’s economic development volatility. incentives and the creation of a process to do so. • Given the inherently cyclical nature of the state’s economy and the constitutional limitations on The Chamber relies heavily on a number of the state’s increasing taxes, tax reform decisions should not economic development and incentive programs to include multi-year tax reduction formulas. This will recruit companies to the Greater Oklahoma City provide certainty and predictability for companies area and to enhance opportunities for our existing in our state by requiring that future changes to the companies. The Chamber believes it is critical that tax code are considered in the context of the then- certain programs be retained by the state. Our position existing economic environment. on specific economic development incentives is as follows: 2013 LEGISLATIVE GUIDE 3 • The Chamber supports retaining our “premier • Additionally, the Chamber supports retaining the economic development incentives” that are following Community Development Programs: 1) critical in attracting new businesses to the Greater Tax Credit for Qualified Rehabilitation Expenditures Oklahoma City area and in providing existing for Historic Buildings; 2) Tax Credit for Electricity businesses an economic incentive to expand. These Generated by Zero-Emission Facilities; and, 3) Tax incentive programs are, for the most part, unique to Credit for Energy Efficient Residential Construction. Oklahoma and separate the state from what other These programs have different policy objectives than states and competing locations are offering. The the economic development incentive programs and Chamber will oppose attempts to sunset, repeal should therefore be evaluated under different metrics. or unreasonably modify the following economic development programs: The Quality Jobs Act (QJA), Tort Reform 21st Century QJA, Small Employer QJA, Prime Contractor QJA and Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit. The Chamber supports additional lawsuit reform in Oklahoma, including legislation to: • The Chamber supports protecting Oklahoma’s “foundational incentive programs,” which are basic • Absolve businesses from liability when providing incentives offered by virtually