By President Jimmy Curry
The 2014 Oklahoma Legislative Session will end today. Corporations have pretty much taken over the State Capitol, as evident by the bills that were passed this year.
House Bill 2630 has passed in the house and senate and is now on the Governors’ desk. Despite a valiant effort by many people and many organizations, this ill-conceived piece of legislation will become law.
New State Employees will be given a 401(k) plan and not a pension plan as current employees have. Current Employees will keep their pension, but there will not be any new employees contributing as current employees retire.
We believe the legislation in unconstitutional and we plan on continuing to fight it and any other legislation that tries to take away these hard earned benefits.
House Bill 2562 that would set the state’s gross production tax rate at 2% for 3 years, instead of the 7% tax that Oklahoma Currently has, giving a huge tax break to Oil and Gas Companies with a budget shortfall and cuts in education is just plain wrong.
It is important that we remember how our legislators voted on these and other important issues when we all head to the ballot boxes this year.
Who are my Legislators?
How a bill becomes a law.
For more information or to contact us please go to our website at www.OKAFLCIO.org.