State of Oklahoma Archives: on Jobs
Abby Broyles:
For Paycheck Fairness Act letting workers discuss salaries
Women working full-time in Oklahoma are paid 77 cents on the dollar compared to men. This puts us at 43rd in the nation when it comes to gender pay equity. She supports the Paycheck Fairness Act, which seeks to close the gender pay gap
in part by preventing employers from retaliating against workers who discuss salary. This is the type of common sense policy everyone should support--yet Jim Inhofe does not.
Source: 2020 Oklahoma Senate campaign website AbbyBroyles.com
Jul 26, 2020
Kevin Stitt:
Reduce barriers on occupations; increase worker freedom
Stitt signed the Oklahoma Taxpayer Platform which includes the following planks:- Free-Market Environment: Preserve the gains made in Oklahoma in the past 20 years toward greater worker freedom and a less-adversarial legal climate.
Remove unnecessary barriers set up by state and local government for many occupations. Encourage stronger market forces in health care, education, and other sectors, with less picking of winners and losers by government.
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State Sovereignty: Provide a barrier between Oklahomans and Federal overreach that limits our Constitutional liberties.
We cannot continue to let the Federal government impose restrictions, mandates and costs that infringe on our rights.
Source: OKTaxpayersUnite press release: 2018 Oklahoma Governor race
Jul 4, 2018
Mick Cornett:
History of creating jobs and bringing in new industry
As Mayor, Oklahoma City created nearly 100K new jobs and over 9,400 new businesses. He wants to use his job-creating skills to attract new industry to all of Oklahoma. Under Mick's leadership,
Oklahoma City diversified its economy expanding thousands of new jobs in aviation and biomedical fields. His ability to promote our state helped create a tourism industry that has grown each year and attracted new dollars to our state.
Source: 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial campaign website Mick2018.com
Jul 4, 2018
Tom Coburn:
Reduce barriers on occupations; increase worker freedom
Coburn authored the Oklahoma Taxpayer Platform which includes the following planks:- Free-Market Environment: Preserve the gains made in Oklahoma in the past 20 years toward greater worker freedom and a less-adversarial legal climate.
Remove unnecessary barriers set up by state and local government for many occupations. Encourage stronger market forces in health care, education, and other sectors, with less picking of winners and losers by government.
-
State Sovereignty: Provide a barrier between Oklahomans and Federal overreach that limits our Constitutional liberties.
We cannot continue to let the Federal government impose restrictions, mandates and costs that infringe on our rights.
Source: OKTaxpayersUnite press release: 2018 Oklahoma Senate race
Jul 4, 2018
Chris Powell:
Strongly oppose affirmative action
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Legally require hiring more women/minorities"?
A: Strongly oppose
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Oklahoma Governor candidate
May 15, 2018
Joe Maldonado:
Oppose affirmative action
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Legally require hiring more women/minorities"?
A: This should be up to a business, not the Government. If a business chooses not to, and people don't use them, it's their fault they go under.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Oklahoma Governor candidate
May 15, 2018
Connie Johnson:
Higher minimum wage plus business incubators
Government policies affect business environment and employee wages. The minimum wage should be increased to a level that is fair to businesses, employees and taxpayers.
Develop public and private resources to connect economic and workforce development functions such as career pathways, educational incubators; and apprenticeship programs. Embracing innovation-based economic development.
Source: 2018 Oklahoma Senatorial website ConnieForGovernor.com
Oct 15, 2017
Mike Workman:
Raise minimum wage to $10.10 now & $15 later
Raise minimum wage: phase out exemptions, raise to at least $10.10 an hour, index to inflation, then work towards a livable wage of $15 an hour.Strengthen and improve Affordable Health Care [ObamaCare] and work towards universal coverage.
I will support major efforts for a healthier workforce and citizenry with a new national effort to cure most forms of cancer in our lifetime. More diverse and better economic development in clean industries such as tourism and the arts.
Source: 2016 OK Senate campaign website facebook/Workman-4-Oklahoma
Aug 8, 2016
Mike Workman:
Livable wage for all state employees
Workman submitted the following statement on wages for public employees: "I also support taking steps towards a Livable Wage and would lead by example.
All state employees in the Department of Labor will make at least $15 per hour. And I would advocate that all public employees in Oklahoma also make at least $15 per hour."
Source: 2014 Ballotpedia statement for 2020 Oklahoma Senate race
Sep 23, 2014
Joe Dorman:
Minimum wage affects older workers, not just young singles
Criticism is mounting regarding Gov. Mary Fallin's decision to sign a bill that prohibits cities and towns from increasing the minimum wage to an amount higher than that of the state. The state has adopted the federal rate of $7.25. Fallin signed Senate
Bill 1023 that prevents the increase. Fallin issued a statement saying, "Obama and his Oklahoma surrogates are ignoring the fact that most minimum wage workers are young, single people working part time or entry level jobs."
Mandating an increase would result in lost jobs, she said.Her Democratic gubernatorial opponent, Rep. Joe Dorman, said the demographics of those earning minimum wage are very different than "Fallin's fantasy world."
"Most are older working
people working low-paying or multiple jobs just to get by," he said. Oklahoma has the nation's third-highest rate of people working at or below the minimum wage, Dorman's campaign said. Almost a quarter of Oklahoma jobs pay a low wage, the campaign said.
Source: Tulsa World on 2014 Oklahoma gubernatorial race
Apr 18, 2014
Mary Fallin:
Prohibit cities from increasing the minimum wage
Criticism is mounting regarding Gov. Mary Fallin's decision to sign a bill that prohibits cities & towns from increasing the minimum wage to an amount higher than that of the state. The state has adopted the federal rate of $7.25.Fallin signed Senate
Bill 1023 that prevents the increase. It appears to have shuttered efforts to circulate an initiative petition to increase the rate.
President Barack Obama has advocated for increasing the rate to $10.10 an hour. Fallin issued a statement saying
Obama's plan ignores economic reality: "President Obama and the Democratic Party believe that on this issue, like on so many others, the government can just mandate prosperity and growth with no consideration of economic reality. Obama and his Oklahoma
surrogates say they want to raise the minimum wage to reduce poverty. They are ignoring the fact that most minimum wage workers are young, single people working part time or entry level jobs." Mandating an increase would result in lost jobs, she said.
Source: Tulsa World on 2014 Oklahoma gubernatorial race
Apr 18, 2014
Mary Fallin:
62,400 new jobs in our state; unemployment at 5.1%
Since January 2011, we've created over 62,400 new net jobs, giving us the fourth highest growth rate in the United States. Unemployment in Oklahoma has been reduced by 30 percent, from 7 percent in 2010 to an enviable
5.1 percent today, one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. Our median household income rose in 2011 by $4,000--placing Oklahoma at No. 1 in the country.We have also restored fiscal stability to state government.
In January 2011, we had $2.03 in our Rainy Day Fund. Today, we are approaching a record high of over $600 million. We achieved these results by prioritizing our spending, promoting pro-business policies and lowering taxes.
Oklahoma's state government has helped our economy to flourish--setting the stage for the job creation and family income growth that has now finally restored the state's economy to 2008, pre-recession job levels.
Source: 2013 State of the State to Oklahoma Legislature
Feb 4, 2013
Mary Fallin:
Excessive worker's compensation is a barrier to growth
A large part of our success can be attributed to Oklahoma keeping a laser like focus on reform efforts that remove barriers to economic growth--barriers like frivolous lawsuits, a problem which we tackled through landmark legal reforms.
Now malpractice lawsuits are at a 10-year low.Barriers to growth also include excessive workers compensation costs. For decades, out-of-control workers' compensation costs have been a burden on those doing business in Oklahoma.
While recent reforms have effectively worked to reduce the total costs of claims, more needs to be done.
I am committed to working with the House and Senate to pursue additional reforms that lower costs for businesses while treating injured workers fairly.
Source: 2013 State of the State to Oklahoma Legislature
Feb 4, 2013
Frank Keating:
Reform worker’s comp: administrative instead of court-based
We need real workers’ compensation reform now. The system is clearly broken. We’re among the five most costly systems in the nation, yet we were forty-eighth in benefits paid to injured workers. This is nothing less than an added tax on business.
It costs us jobs and growth. Previous reforms have helped, but now is the time for the next step in real reform. Replace the costly and anachronistic court system with a speedy, fair administrative system, as is the case in forty-seven other states.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to Oklahoma legislature
Feb 5, 2001
Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021