Bill to prohibit pandemic closure of businesses without scientific justification heads to Governor

Bill to Keep Businesses Open During Pandemics Sent to Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 22nd) – Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, on Monday won passage of legislation that prohibits the governor from closing any business during a pandemic without documented scientific evidence that the nature of the business actually contributes to the spread of the disease.

Senate Bill 672 now moves to the governor's desk for his consideration of signing it into law.  

AFP-OK applauds House vote to end 6% mandatory gas and grocery markup

AFP-OK Cheers House Vote to End Mandatory Gas & Grocery Markup

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (April 22nd) - Americans for Prosperity-Oklahoma (AFP-OK) thanked members of the House Commerce and Economic Development Oversight Committee today for their unanimous vote in favor of legislation to remove a long-hidden price markup on gas, groceries, and other essentials that make everyday life more expensive for Oklahomans. 

Hildebrant's 'Food Truck Freedom Act' advances to Senate

Food Truck Freedom Act Advances to Senate

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 13th) – The Oklahoma House of Representatives advanced House Bill 1076, also known as the Food Truck Freedom Act, authored by Rep. Derrick Hildebrant, R-Catoosa. With an 85-3 vote, the bill aims to streamline the licensing process, allowing vendors with a valid state food establishment license to operate anywhere in the state, provided they follow all applicable state and local laws.

Legislation to modernize Oklahoma’s cosmetology laws passes House

Legislation to Modernize Oklahoma’s Cosmetology Laws Passes House

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill that seeks to take away some of the red tape for Oklahoma’s barber and cosmetology professionals passed the House today with bipartisan support. 

House Bill 1807, authored by Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-OKC, modifies the current Oklahoma Cosmetology and Barbering Act to make the regulations around the industry easier to understand and the licensing process easier for Oklahomans entering the profession.

“This bill makes Oklahoma the best place to get your education if you want to get into the cosmetology or barbering industries,” Bennett said. “These reforms make it easier to get certified in what you want to do while not sacrificing instruction time.”

The idea behind this legislation is to lower the barrier of entry for an industry that, more than many others, allows a person to grow their own business and be their own boss. 

1889 Institute op-ed: Why I am not Pro-Business

Why I Am Not Pro-Business

By Byron Schlomach

Most who consider themselves conservative, even many with libertarian leanings, are comfortable with describing themselves as pro-business.

Not me.

Just because I’m not pro-business doesn’t mean I’m anti-business, though. I’m pro-free enterprise.

Chambers of Commerce across the nation are pro-business, especially pro-BIG business. They are established to represent their business members, with large corporations usually the most influential amongst their numbers. Chambers of Commerce almost always favor business subsidies, special tax breaks for certain businesses that small businesses don’t get, or exempt only certain businesses from regulation. They specialize in persuading gullible politicians anxious to get their faces in the news at ribbon-cutting ceremonies to favor these policies.

OCPA: Pursue innovation, remember working families during COVID crisis

Pursue innovation, remember working families during COVID crisis

The following statement was issued today by Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

“The Covid-19/coronavirus represents a true threat to public health, and efforts to mitigate its spread have required some actions that were previously unthinkable. But even in the midst of unprecedented action, an important balance must be preserved: Action must be taken to reduce public spread of this virus, but it must be done in a way that minimizes the damage to people’s lives. While many businesses and workers can do their jobs from home, that is not true for all Oklahomans, and care must be taken to allow Oklahomans to continue working as much as possible.

“Many working families cannot afford the loss of income that will come with government-forced closure of their place of employment. For those Oklahomans, the promise of a $1,000 check from the federal government and larger unemployment checks will be no substitute for a job.

“Early this past week, as things began to escalate, I ate at a local restaurant. All present observed social distancing techniques. Our server was worried. The server’s most pressing fear was that our group’s tip might be the last she received. If her employer was forced to close, her life was going to get very hard, very quickly.

“We must not forget working families. While those who can work from home can do so, there are many people working in jobs where that is not possible, and we cannot shrug off the impact of government action on their lives. Especially when social distancing, other health guidance and innovation can be taken to allow people to continue in their jobs with minimal chance of spreading the virus.

“In the United States, we have generally achieved better results from a bottom-up approach than top-down edicts. Local communities and citizens need the flexibility to determine the best course of action for their area based on local conditions. The steps required to address the Covid-19 challenge in Los Angeles may not be the same steps required in Edmond or Catoosa.

“To their credit, policymakers like Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, the State of Oklahoma, other state governors—from both political parties—have allowed local communities to determine the best course of action to deal with the virus. And many communities have allowed business owners to innovate and to operate in a way that reduces the chance of virus exposure while still keeping their business functioning, such as restaurants that have switched to curbside service. There are voices who want to order the closure of all “nonessential” businesses for an undetermined amount of time. They want to put government in the position of determining which businesses and livelihoods are “nonessential.” But every job is essential to the person who needs a paycheck. Protection of citizen health is not incompatible with work ethic and business innovation. In reality, the two go hand-in-hand.”

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs is a free-market think tank that works to advance principles and policies that support free enterprise, limited government, and individual initiative.

Federal Disaster Loans available to small businesses impacted by COVID-19

FEDERAL DISASTER LOANS AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY COVID-19

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 14, 2020) – The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to Oklahoma small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This funding will be provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by President Trump.

To qualify for the program, the state must submit documentation of business losses for at least five businesses per county.

If approved, an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance declaration will make disaster loans of up to $2 million available to small businesses and private, nonprofit organizations to help alleviate economic injury caused by COVID-19.

According to the SBA, these loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the impact of COVID-19. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere and 2.75% for nonprofits. Businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible for this program.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management will have a form for businesses submit on its website (www.ok.gov/OEM) starting Monday.

State Senate committee approves 'Homemade Food Freedom Act'

Stock photo: pexels.com

Senate committee approves Homemade Food Freedom Act

Social media has allowed at-home food business owners to reach larger numbers of potential customers, but Oklahoma’s strict regulations have kept many from growing and succeeding.  Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, wants to remove unnecessary regulations for these small business owners with his Senate Bill 1714, the Homemade Food Freedom Act, which passed unanimously Monday out of the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee.

“Our economy moves quickly.  What worked for businesses ten to twenty years ago doesn’t work today.  Oklahoma must grow and change with the trends or our small business owners will suffer,” Pugh said. “One way we can help is by lifting the restrictions that are hurting those who sell food out of their homes. My mom started with a home bakery, and it was a major jump to go from running her kitchen to a retail location. Just because a business is thriving doesn’t necessarily mean the owner is ready for a retail location. This bill will allow them to decide when they feel comfortable moving from their home to a store.”

SB 1714 removes the arbitrary $20,000 annual gross sales limit placed on formerly known home food establishments. It also requires that ingredients be labeled and state that the product was made in a home kitchen.

“If signed into law, this bill will help our farmers, ranchers, small food business owners and others be able to bring their fresh nutritious food to the marketplace,” Pugh said.  “Oklahoma provides food for people around the world, but we have some of the most restrictive laws when it comes to providing it for our citizens. This will allow them to share their culinary talents and passion for homemade food with fresh ingredients with more people.”

SB 1714 regulates products and classifies them as either potentially hazardous or non-potentially hazardous food. The sale of non-potentially and potentially hazardous food is exempted from licensing requirements promulgated by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry. The measure requires potentially hazardous food to be affixed with a specific label. Homemade products may not contain any meat. The Department would still be allowed to investigate any reported foodborne illness.

1889 Institute, Goldwater Institute publish alternative to occupational licensing

1889 INSTITUTE, GOLDWATER INSTITUTE JOINTLY PUBLISH PAPER

There’s a better way to ensure occupational quality—without relying on the government.

OKLAHOMA CITY (November 15, 2018) – Today, the government plays the role of granting occupational licenses to professionals, supposedly to protect consumers and ensure quality services. But as a new paper jointly published by the Goldwater Institute (Phoenix, AZ) and the 1889 Institute shows, there’s a better, modern alternative to the government-run system that benefits consumers and professionals alike.

In their new report, A Win-Win for Consumers and Professionals Alike: An Alternative to Occupational Licensing, Byron Schlomach, director of the Oklahoma-based 1889 Institute, and the Goldwater Institute’s Christina Sandefur and Dr. Murray Feldstein explain that private certification would produce information benefits for consumers and service providers without the existing government monopoly on licensing.

“If you’ve ever used Yelp to find a good restaurant, or Angie’s List to find a good plumber, then you know how important it can be to get accurate information about sellers and products. Occupational licensing is supposed to provide that—a confirmation that the seller will provide a reliable product or service—but that often doesn’t happen without other costs, like reduced supply, higher prices, and compromised quality,” Schlomach said.

The paper proposes private certification as an alternate solution to government licensing. Private certification provides the best of all worlds: It protects consumers from fraud, encourages the creation of reliable sources of shorthand information to help both professionals and consumers, and it gives privately certified sellers the incentive to keep their quality high in order to keeps their certification credible.

A model bill included in the paper offers a voluntary system to complement the existing traditional occupational licensing process. It would allow private certifying organizations to register with the state, privately certify individuals to practice an occupation according to the organization’s practices, and employ modern technology, including consumer-rating systems using smartphone applications, to protect consumers. Such a system would create an element of competition, allowing certifying organizations to vie to provide the highest-quality credential.

The paper can be found here, with additional work on occupational licensing here.

The Conservative View: A Rising Tide and Barriers

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner and conservative activist Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

A Rising Tide and Barriers

I have noticed that many Americans do not understand the concepts of a free market system of economics. Whether it is from a lack of education or being indoctrinated by the main stream press that has very left leaning philosophies, our people fail to see the benefits of the capitalistic system our country once enjoyed. Far too many people have gotten into a system of class envy, they think that just because someone has more than they do it should be the duty of the government to confiscate part of that wealth and redistribute it to someone else.

While some think of money like a small pool of water on a beach, they look at it like there is no other water anywhere and if someone has more water than the other they have the flawed assumption that they have taken it from someone else. Our people have forgotten that freedom allows us to grow our wealth. I believe that like an ocean if the tide is allowed to flow naturally the tide will bring forth more water and the supply will be greater for everyone. There is an old saying that says, “A rising tide floats all boats”. The system works well until someone erects a barrier that restricts the flow of the water. We need to recognize the barriers that our well intentioned leaders place upon our economic system.

I recently heard that the congress will not act upon the Bush Tax Cuts until after the election. If the Bush Tax Cuts are not renewed many people will be facing major increases in the taxes they will have to pay. We need to understand that for the most part the people that have businesses and create jobs want to make a profit. If the government makes the tax burden so punitive that the business owner cannot turn a profit, he will not start the new businesses and not create the jobs that our country needs. We have forgotten that you or I may have been employed at that new business. I have heard people complain about companies moving operations outside of this country, and out of the same breath they complain about the high price of the necessities they need. To stay competitive the business owner has no other choice but to move to another location in order to survive. Until our citizens start to understand the concept of removing barriers placed upon our business owners, a rising tide cannot float all boats.  

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.  

The Conservative View: Open the Gate

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Open the Gate

A wise man once said that any government is a burden and expense to the citizens. I feel that the burden should be as small as possible; every effort should be made to make the government involvement into our lives simple and efficient. Anyone who has ever started a small business knows the runaround from our government just to obtain the proper licenses and permits to do business. From personal experience I know how frustrating it can be when you start calling different agencies; when you ask questions invariably the answer will be “I don’t know”. If you are lucky, after a dozen or so calls you might start to make some headway in getting your question answered. From my experiences the most useful information was to talk to other business people who had gone through the same process. I have often said that there should be some agency that an inexperienced entrepreneur could go to that could help them through the process. Fortunately a bill has passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives that has the potential to make the burdens for our business people much lighter.

House Bill 2310, by Rep. Jason Murphey, establishes a pilot program to integrate several licenses and permits with a one-stop Web site administered by the Department of Commerce. The bill would encourage a real-time environment where business owners can receive instant license and permit approval. The business one-stop site was established by legislation initially approved in 2007. The goal of the 2007 initiative was to provide potential business owners a single location they could visit in order to help them start a business.

We Americans seem to have forgotten that the entrepreneurial spirit of our citizens is the driving force of our economy. Government programs very seldom have a lasting positive impact upon our economy. I have observed people that would want to start a business, when they saw all of the hassle and paperwork they would decide to forget their desire to start a small business. I feel that the American people are a lot like a pen full of fine racehorses, they are just waiting for the gate to be opened so that they can stretch their legs. I say open the gate and let the American people grow our way out of the financial troubles we are experiencing. House Bill 2310 passed the House with a vote of 66-33 and will now proceed to the Senate for consideration.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

The Conservative View: Enthusiasm and Reality

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Enthusiasm and Reality

Many Americans have the desire to own their own home and to have a business that will be profitable enough to meet the needs of themselves and their family. Many people that start a small business learn very quickly that the business world can be very rough. Years ago I purchased a small business and a good friend of mine gave me some very good advice. He said that it is good to be enthusiastic about starting a business, but if you are to be successful you must use logic and take a hard look at the numbers. Many times I have seen people become overwhelmed with the requirements that a business can demand of them. The first year of any business is the most critical. From experience in my own business, I learned of the sacrifices one must make if they are to survive. We Americans need to look at our personal finances but we also need to start to take a more active role in the finances of our nation.

We all hear about the stimulus money and many people can only think of running to the feed trough and making sure that they get their fair share. The additional debt that our county will owe for this current year’s budget is projected to be 1.6 trillion dollars. When you break that amount down by our country’s population it equals $5,300.00 dollars of debt for every man, woman and child in this country… and that is for just one year. In 2008, government spent 38% of everything produced in the U.S. (gross domestic product) and last year the figure shot above 40%. There are estimates that contend that if the current trend continues by 2012 total government spending will exceed the total gross domestic product of this nation.

Some people can relate to the problems that are facing our country. Whatever product a business creates, the business owner cannot stay in business by continually borrowing more money to keep the business open. Whenever it costs more to keep the business open than all of the sales that might come from the business, the owner has to face reality and close the doors. Granted government is different in some respects to business, but without curbing expenses the result will be the same “bankruptcy”. We Americans need to be less enthusiastic about spending money we don’t have and for the sake of our country we must get realistic about the dangers ahead.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.