State Legislative Priorities for 2010
1. Support the building of the Gilcrease Expressway and Bridge through any funding mechanism available in order to expedite this long overdue transportation system; a partnership with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority may be beneficial.
2. Support services to the uninsured through continued funding for the OSU Medical Center and $7 million annually to OU’s Tisdale Health Center.
3. Support a legislative interim study on municipal finance and efforts to expand municipalities’ ability to use new sources of revenue to fund local government; and pass no unfunded mandates.
4. Defend existing road funding against any diversion of monies and monitor the increased funding for roads, bridges, maintenance and construction and oppose State Question 744, the Helping Oklahoma Public Education initiative, which would require drastic budget cuts to other state services unless there is a large tax increase.
5. Support measures to competitively position Oklahoma schools and colleges to receive Race to the Top Funds, including removing barriers to charters state-wide and restrictive state policies and promoting teacher effectiveness, such as Oklahoma’s concurrent enrollment policy that allows only high achieving students to participate in the opportunity.
6. Support reform of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation system to: promote workplace safety; provide an efficient, cost effective system which lowers administrative and legal costs to employers and increases benefits to injured workers to help them recover from workplace injuries and timely return to work.
7. Support Quality Events Incentive Act.
8. Support ways to leverage and maximize federal funding of reimbursement programs such as Insure Oklahoma, SCHIP (State Childrens’ Health Insurance Program), Medicaid, Upper Payment Limit (UPL), Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) and Graduate Medical Education (GME).
9. Support development of renewable and alternative energy source development, such as LNG, CNG, biofuels, nuclear, ethanol, wind power, solar and others, in addition to encouraging continued development of conventional energy sources.
10. Support the establishment of economic development zones and TIF districts along the Arkansas River to create small business opportunities to spur economic development.
OneVoice 2010
Federal Priorities for 2010
1. Support timely reauthorization of the federal surface transportation programs, including funding for high priority projects: reconstruction of the I-244 bridges over the Arkansas River, reconstruction of I-244, widening of I-44 east to the Will Rogers Turnpike and reconstruction to 6 lanes of US 169 north to SH 20.
2. Support Senator Jim Inhofe’s request for funding for implementation of the Arkansas River corridor master plan.
3. Secure $16 million in emergency federal funding to address currently identified deficiencies with the Arkansas River levee (west Tulsa/Sand Springs) and bring the levee into compliance with Corps of Engineer Standards.
4. Oppose the Employee Free Choice Act.
5. Support appropriations to deepen the McClellan-Kerr waterway to 12’ and to widen the last 50 miles to the Port of Catoosa.
6. Secure public funding for hospital services, urgent care, outpatient and specialty care services, FQHC’s and graduate medical education at Tulsa based medical schools to insure appropriate access to care for the underserved patient population which relies upon the Tulsa healthcare network for services.
7. Support development of an intermodal truck/rail freight transportation facility linking the port and airport with truck /rail service.
8. Support comprehensive implementation of the American Graduation Initiative to increase the number of community college graduates.
9. Maximize federal Health Information Technology funding and available stimulus funding for the Tulsa Region for health information technologies, health information exchange and health information management- organized as a Tulsa regional consortium.
10. Strengthen existing energy businesses through legislation and educational outreach that promote exploration and production of oil and gas in the U.S.
Regional Chamber Coalition
Bartlesville Chamber
Bixby Chamber
Broken Arrow Chamber
Glenpool Chamber
Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber
Greenwood Chamber
Indo American Chamber
Jenks Chamber
Muskogee Chamber
Okmulgee Chamber
Owasso Chamber
Sapulpa Chamber
Skiatook Chamber
Tulsa Metro Chamber
Coalition of Tulsa Area Governments
Bixby
Broken Arrow
Claremore
Collinsville
Glenpool
INCOG
Jenks
Mannford
Owasso
Sand Springs
Skiatook
Tulsa
Tulsa County