This last week brought about the end of the 2010 legislative session. I must say that this was probably the most intense week of legislative proceedings that I have observed in my four years of legislative service. Much happened in this last week and I could write an entire series of articles about just the happenings of this one week.
Legislators worked late into the night each night trying to meet the Constitutional deadline of adjourning at 5 p.m. on Friday and succeeded with just 5 minutes to spare.
The process came to a standstill on Friday when the House considered a component of the budget agreement to enact a 16 million dollar fee increase. The vote was held open for about an hour when several legislators in an apparent attempt to leverage a favor from legislative leadership joined with those of us who were opposed to the fee increase and voted against the proposal. As you might expect, this resulted in pressure being placed on those legislators who were voting against the fee increase because it was a bad policy proposal. The possibility of a special legislative session was brought up if the fee increase was not approved.
I think it is contemptible that legislators would trade their votes for favors and believe that the public would express significant outrage if they realized that legislators were engaging in these petty politics.
And, the situation risked placing the legislators who were already against the fee increase in a very uncomfortable position as they did want to support a fee increase but neither did they want to de-rail the budget agreement and force a special session.
Fortunately, I escaped much of this pressure. During my time in the legislature I have maintained a policy of voting against debt, fee and tax increases, pork earmarks and the creation of new government bureaucracies. Being known as a legislator whose is going to stand by these four policies and who is not open to trading votes allows me to avoid being susceptible to arm-twisting. Other legislators can predict my voting habit and don't have to worry about what they must give up in order to get my support. My vote will be based on the quality of the proposed policy. This has allowed me to build a relationship with other legislators which is built on trust and consistency and not on a temporary political alliance.
Eventually a few legislators changed their votes and the fee increase was approved on a 52-48 vote.
However, I do believe that our opposition to the fee and tax increases sent a strong message. In the future, the state budget should be balanced by eliminating inappropriate and inefficient functions of state government and not by legislating fees and taxes which will simply add to the cost of living that the citizens are forced to pay.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
This is Oklahoma next year! Credit: @sidburgess Hard Times Spur Ideas for Changehttp://ping.fm/mawbt
Friday, May 28, 2010
Speaker Benge presenting government consolidation bill with 1 hour to go in session. HB 3035 - Watch here http://ping.fm/CW97e
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Policies for Voting on the Budget
Legislative leadership recently completed negotiations with the Governor regarding the approval of a budget agreement for the state's next fiscal year.
As always, the agreement represents negotiated positions by all involved parties and as such does not necessarily represent the stand of a single group. Many times this puts House appropriations officials in the position of having to secure support for provisions of the budget with which they do not agree. I understand this dilemma. However, I have never felt that as members of the House we should vote for bad policy simply because the Governor or the Senate is asking us to do it. Likewise, those groups should not support bad policy because members of the House have negotiated for it.
As the various bills which constitute this agreement are presented to the House, there are a number of criteria I will use to govern how I vote on the proposal.
As usual, I will be analyzing bills for earmarks. As I have written in the past, I believe legislative earmarks are extremely inappropriate because they violate the important principle of separation of powers between the three branches of government and risk opening the door to "good old boy" politics and corruption. Government expenditures should be allotted according to objective need-based criteria. They should never be made based on politics.
I will not support components of the agreement that include fee or tax increases. I believe the worst thing that government can do during an economic downturn is to increase the cost of government services. Oklahoma fee-based government entities take nearly a billion dollars out of the state's economy each year, and increasing the amount of this taxation is very bad policy. This does not include the amount of money taken by government entities that are not entirely fee-based, but receive funding from a combination of fees and appropriations.
Finally, I will oppose the issuance of new debt. In addition to millions of dollars in bonded indebtedness, Oklahoma state government is dealing with billions of dollars in underfunded long-term liabilities. This debt is tying up state resources for many years into the future and serves to make it difficult to truly reform Oklahoma's antiquated tax code. I believe that our state and nation will face a day of reckoning for the reckless policies of assuming so much debt; we must do whatever we can to stop policy leaders from incurring additional indebtedness.
These are the principles I will apply when voting on the state's 2011 budget.
As always, the agreement represents negotiated positions by all involved parties and as such does not necessarily represent the stand of a single group. Many times this puts House appropriations officials in the position of having to secure support for provisions of the budget with which they do not agree. I understand this dilemma. However, I have never felt that as members of the House we should vote for bad policy simply because the Governor or the Senate is asking us to do it. Likewise, those groups should not support bad policy because members of the House have negotiated for it.
As the various bills which constitute this agreement are presented to the House, there are a number of criteria I will use to govern how I vote on the proposal.
As usual, I will be analyzing bills for earmarks. As I have written in the past, I believe legislative earmarks are extremely inappropriate because they violate the important principle of separation of powers between the three branches of government and risk opening the door to "good old boy" politics and corruption. Government expenditures should be allotted according to objective need-based criteria. They should never be made based on politics.
I will not support components of the agreement that include fee or tax increases. I believe the worst thing that government can do during an economic downturn is to increase the cost of government services. Oklahoma fee-based government entities take nearly a billion dollars out of the state's economy each year, and increasing the amount of this taxation is very bad policy. This does not include the amount of money taken by government entities that are not entirely fee-based, but receive funding from a combination of fees and appropriations.
Finally, I will oppose the issuance of new debt. In addition to millions of dollars in bonded indebtedness, Oklahoma state government is dealing with billions of dollars in underfunded long-term liabilities. This debt is tying up state resources for many years into the future and serves to make it difficult to truly reform Oklahoma's antiquated tax code. I believe that our state and nation will face a day of reckoning for the reckless policies of assuming so much debt; we must do whatever we can to stop policy leaders from incurring additional indebtedness.
These are the principles I will apply when voting on the state's 2011 budget.
Friday, May 21, 2010
The House is debating levying a 1% fee (tax) increase on claims paid through insurance policies. Watch here: http://okhouse.mediasite.com/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=b44774dd123e49b988d92a7f035f2dad
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The House is debating veto override on Open Carry proposal. Click here to watch. http://ping.fm/QOpaO
Logan County Road Bill Signed by Governor
Legislation clarifying the ability of Title 19 Road Districts to provide for adequate draining from rural road surfaces has been signed by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry.
House Bill 2306, by State Representative Jason Murphey and State Senator Patrick Anderson, was sponsored after a member of a Logan County Title 19 Road District asked for the new law.
"The Title 19 Road District appears to be an almost exclusive entity to Logan County," Murphey explained. "Logan County is served by a number of Title 19 Road Districts due to its large unincorporated population, rapidly growing rural population, and the tremendous need for adequate road maintenance brought about by an increased amount of traffic."
This marks the second successive year Murphey has won approval for legislation assisting Logan County road districts. Last year's House Bill 2194 established a pay-as-you-go mechanism to allow Title 19 Road Districts to construct new roads without having to go into debt.
House Bill 2306, by State Representative Jason Murphey and State Senator Patrick Anderson, was sponsored after a member of a Logan County Title 19 Road District asked for the new law.
"The Title 19 Road District appears to be an almost exclusive entity to Logan County," Murphey explained. "Logan County is served by a number of Title 19 Road Districts due to its large unincorporated population, rapidly growing rural population, and the tremendous need for adequate road maintenance brought about by an increased amount of traffic."
This marks the second successive year Murphey has won approval for legislation assisting Logan County road districts. Last year's House Bill 2194 established a pay-as-you-go mechanism to allow Title 19 Road Districts to construct new roads without having to go into debt.
Link to documents of 2011 budget agreement between Legislature and Governor. Courtesy of @Rep_Richardson http://ping.fm/PV6jy
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Murphey Closes Higher Education Transparency Loophole
A loophole which kept Oklahoma Higher Education entities from meeting a new transparency requirement has been closed down after the Gubernatorial signing of House Bill 2332.
State Representative Jason Murphey authored House Bill 1032 with state Senator Randy Brogdon in 2009, which required state entities to publish all purchases made with a state purchase card. The data was integrated with Oklahoma's Open Books transparency site and went online last November.
Murphey said the intent of the law was to allow the citizens of Oklahoma to review each and every purchase made by a state employee with state issued purchase cards. However, when the law took effect, a reporter with Oklahoma Television Station News 9 discovered that Higher Education entities did not have to comply with the law and informed Murphey that Higher Education entities were not reporting their spending. Murphey informed the reporter that he would try to close the loophole during the 2010 legislative session.
Murphey attempted to close the loophole in House Bill 2318, authored by Murphey and state Senator Clark Jolley. The effort was temporarily halted in March when HB 2318 was defeated by a vote on the House floor.
"We were not going to give up on letting the citizens see where their money is being spent," Murphey stated. "We made it a priority to find other legislative vehicles for this language."
Murphey subsequently placed the statutory closure of the loophole in two other bills, both of which were approved by the House. House Bill 2332, also authored by Jolley, was just recently signed into law by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry.
HB 2332 takes effect immediately.
State Representative Jason Murphey authored House Bill 1032 with state Senator Randy Brogdon in 2009, which required state entities to publish all purchases made with a state purchase card. The data was integrated with Oklahoma's Open Books transparency site and went online last November.
Murphey said the intent of the law was to allow the citizens of Oklahoma to review each and every purchase made by a state employee with state issued purchase cards. However, when the law took effect, a reporter with Oklahoma Television Station News 9 discovered that Higher Education entities did not have to comply with the law and informed Murphey that Higher Education entities were not reporting their spending. Murphey informed the reporter that he would try to close the loophole during the 2010 legislative session.
Murphey attempted to close the loophole in House Bill 2318, authored by Murphey and state Senator Clark Jolley. The effort was temporarily halted in March when HB 2318 was defeated by a vote on the House floor.
"We were not going to give up on letting the citizens see where their money is being spent," Murphey stated. "We made it a priority to find other legislative vehicles for this language."
Murphey subsequently placed the statutory closure of the loophole in two other bills, both of which were approved by the House. House Bill 2332, also authored by Jolley, was just recently signed into law by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry.
HB 2332 takes effect immediately.
The House is voting on overriding the Governor's veto of federal health care opt-out - HJR 1054 You can watch here: http://ping.fm/atcug
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Update on Modernization Initiatives
During the weeks preceding this year's session, I wrote a series of articles in which I explained a proposed schedule of government modernization items designed to cut wasteful government spending and provide more transparency to the way the government spends your money. When I wrote the original articles, I solicited the help of House District 31 constituents in providing ideas and suggestions. I have appreciated this input. Much of this modernization effort has been supported by House leadership and with their help, legislation has advanced through most of the legislative process.
It has been my goal to find those practices which are clearly the most wasteful and difficult for even the most aggressive status quo politicians to defend. I believe this is the perfect opportunity to reduce wasteful spending practices because legislators are feeling the impact of receiving calls from their constituents who are worried about spending cuts due to recent state government revenue shortfalls. It is hard for legislators to vote against cutting out extremely wasteful spending while funding the various programs important to their constituents.
Sometimes there is a double impact to these proposals. Not only do they save taxpayer dollars by reducing wasteful spending, modernization proposals also make Oklahoma a more business-friendly state. One of these initiatives is House Bill 2332 which included a provision to make it easier for business to secure work from the state. As part of reforming Oklahoma's purchasing laws, it was evident that it was becoming difficult for publicly traded companies to do business with the state because they could not justify entering into a state required non-standard liability contract. One major technology vendor explained that fewer entities were willing to do business with state government and as a result, taxpayers may have less opportunity for choice and subsequently be forced to pay higher prices. HB 2332 makes it possible for these companies to utilize standardized liability contracts.
Many of the modernization proposals, including HB 2332, have either been signed into law or are successfully approaching the end of the legislative process. Other initiatives, such as the Gov 2.0 transparency proposal and the expansion of the Open Books web site, are nearing the end of the legislative approval process. While there have been some significant challenges in securing approval, most of the modernization ideas have survived to this point in the session. As we are nearing the final deadlines, I look forward to being able to provide a comprehensive report in which I will detail these changes and their impact on state government.
It has been my goal to find those practices which are clearly the most wasteful and difficult for even the most aggressive status quo politicians to defend. I believe this is the perfect opportunity to reduce wasteful spending practices because legislators are feeling the impact of receiving calls from their constituents who are worried about spending cuts due to recent state government revenue shortfalls. It is hard for legislators to vote against cutting out extremely wasteful spending while funding the various programs important to their constituents.
Sometimes there is a double impact to these proposals. Not only do they save taxpayer dollars by reducing wasteful spending, modernization proposals also make Oklahoma a more business-friendly state. One of these initiatives is House Bill 2332 which included a provision to make it easier for business to secure work from the state. As part of reforming Oklahoma's purchasing laws, it was evident that it was becoming difficult for publicly traded companies to do business with the state because they could not justify entering into a state required non-standard liability contract. One major technology vendor explained that fewer entities were willing to do business with state government and as a result, taxpayers may have less opportunity for choice and subsequently be forced to pay higher prices. HB 2332 makes it possible for these companies to utilize standardized liability contracts.
Many of the modernization proposals, including HB 2332, have either been signed into law or are successfully approaching the end of the legislative process. Other initiatives, such as the Gov 2.0 transparency proposal and the expansion of the Open Books web site, are nearing the end of the legislative approval process. While there have been some significant challenges in securing approval, most of the modernization ideas have survived to this point in the session. As we are nearing the final deadlines, I look forward to being able to provide a comprehensive report in which I will detail these changes and their impact on state government.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Murphey Business-Friendly Reform Signed into Law
An initiative to make it easier to do business in Oklahoma is set to go into law after being signed by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry.
Authored by Guthrie State Representative Jason Murphey and Edmond State Senator Clark Jolley, House Bill 2332 codifies a significant reform which counters current state policy that makes it difficult for state agencies to enter into business contracts with providers if those contracts contain standardized liability provisions.
In the past, Oklahoma law has been interpreted to not allow the state to enter into boilerplate or standardized liability arrangements with vendors.
As part of his work researching Oklahoma's purchasing laws, Murphey discovered that it was becoming difficult for publicly traded companies to do business with the state because they could not justify entering into the required non-standard contract. One major technology vendor informed Murphey that fewer entities were willing to do business with state government and as a result, taxpayers may have less opportunity for choice and subsequently be forced to pay higher prices.
"I felt it was wrong that an archaic state policy would cost the taxpayers funds," Murphey said. "By simplifying state business policies and procedures, I believe we will save taxpayer dollars."
House Bill 2332 contained a clause which places it immediately into law.
Murphey won approval last year for another major business-friendly initiative - House Bill 1032 - which requires state agencies to allow business to apply for licenses and permits online and enacts a wide-ranging series of purchasing system reforms. "While most of our focus has been to save taxpayer dollars while improving the state's purchasing system, it is important to note that these same reforms are making it easier to do business in Oklahoma," he explained.
Murphey states that as the state Representative for one of the most rapidly expanding areas, business-friendly reforms are one of his top priorities. Recent census estimates show that the area is one of the fastest growing in the state. "Whether it is retail and residential growth in north Oklahoma and south Logan County, industrial growth along the Seward Road corridor or tourism-related expansion at the north Guthrie exit, House District 31 is experiencing some of the most explosive growth in the state," Murphey said.
Authored by Guthrie State Representative Jason Murphey and Edmond State Senator Clark Jolley, House Bill 2332 codifies a significant reform which counters current state policy that makes it difficult for state agencies to enter into business contracts with providers if those contracts contain standardized liability provisions.
In the past, Oklahoma law has been interpreted to not allow the state to enter into boilerplate or standardized liability arrangements with vendors.
As part of his work researching Oklahoma's purchasing laws, Murphey discovered that it was becoming difficult for publicly traded companies to do business with the state because they could not justify entering into the required non-standard contract. One major technology vendor informed Murphey that fewer entities were willing to do business with state government and as a result, taxpayers may have less opportunity for choice and subsequently be forced to pay higher prices.
"I felt it was wrong that an archaic state policy would cost the taxpayers funds," Murphey said. "By simplifying state business policies and procedures, I believe we will save taxpayer dollars."
House Bill 2332 contained a clause which places it immediately into law.
Murphey won approval last year for another major business-friendly initiative - House Bill 1032 - which requires state agencies to allow business to apply for licenses and permits online and enacts a wide-ranging series of purchasing system reforms. "While most of our focus has been to save taxpayer dollars while improving the state's purchasing system, it is important to note that these same reforms are making it easier to do business in Oklahoma," he explained.
Murphey states that as the state Representative for one of the most rapidly expanding areas, business-friendly reforms are one of his top priorities. Recent census estimates show that the area is one of the fastest growing in the state. "Whether it is retail and residential growth in north Oklahoma and south Logan County, industrial growth along the Seward Road corridor or tourism-related expansion at the north Guthrie exit, House District 31 is experiencing some of the most explosive growth in the state," Murphey said.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The House is considering override of Governor's veto of bill prohibiting use of RFID in drivers licenses. You can watch here http://ping.fm/WbnD8
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Effects of the Upcoming Redistricting Process
One of the tasks I undertake this time of year is that of updating my list of House District 31 constituents. The yearly updating provides me with several important insights. This process allows me to review the growth in the District. House District 31 (North Oklahoma county and Logan County) contains some of the fastest growing areas in the state. You may recall that I have written about this explosive growth and the challenges faced by local officials in maintaining the infrastructure which services this growth.
Over the past years I have had as a primary focus the task of building strong lines of communication between myself and the House District 31 constituency. Usually this takes the form of e-mail communication and I have enjoyed using this technology to provide a level of service which I do not believe would have been possible just a few years ago. These contacts have resulted in the building of several hundred friendships which I would not have had the opportunity to make had it not been for this communication. Because the directory provides a documentation of these relationships, it is somewhat a sad task to realize that this will be the last year my list will contain all of these constituents.
Next year at this time I will very likely be observing a very significant change in the makeup of the district. In about a year, it is expected that the House and Senate will be completing the task of redistricting. Because the north Oklahoma County and Logan County area has experienced such an enormous amount of growth, it will be necessary for House District 31 to become much smaller in the number of constituents. Many of those I represent today will no longer be in the district.
There are, however, a number of positive implications brought about by the update of census data and the redistricting process. Here are two of them:
The area will be represented by multiple Representatives and at some point in the next few years, it is possible that the area could have more than one resident state Representative or Senator for the first time in many years. This means that the area will have a stronger voice in state government.
Because much of the growth in the district has occurred in unincorporated areas, I believe that the growth has been under reported in census estimates. This could be the first time that the new growth is completely reflected in government population counts which could have significant implications on issues such as the manner in which state government funds road maintenance accounts of area County Commissioners. State road funding may finally reflect the reality that significant stresses are being placed on the infrastructure.
While I will certainly miss representing some of those I have worked for over the past few years, I do look forward to working with additional local Representatives and Senators to represent the North Oklahoma and Logan County area.
Over the past years I have had as a primary focus the task of building strong lines of communication between myself and the House District 31 constituency. Usually this takes the form of e-mail communication and I have enjoyed using this technology to provide a level of service which I do not believe would have been possible just a few years ago. These contacts have resulted in the building of several hundred friendships which I would not have had the opportunity to make had it not been for this communication. Because the directory provides a documentation of these relationships, it is somewhat a sad task to realize that this will be the last year my list will contain all of these constituents.
Next year at this time I will very likely be observing a very significant change in the makeup of the district. In about a year, it is expected that the House and Senate will be completing the task of redistricting. Because the north Oklahoma County and Logan County area has experienced such an enormous amount of growth, it will be necessary for House District 31 to become much smaller in the number of constituents. Many of those I represent today will no longer be in the district.
There are, however, a number of positive implications brought about by the update of census data and the redistricting process. Here are two of them:
The area will be represented by multiple Representatives and at some point in the next few years, it is possible that the area could have more than one resident state Representative or Senator for the first time in many years. This means that the area will have a stronger voice in state government.
Because much of the growth in the district has occurred in unincorporated areas, I believe that the growth has been under reported in census estimates. This could be the first time that the new growth is completely reflected in government population counts which could have significant implications on issues such as the manner in which state government funds road maintenance accounts of area County Commissioners. State road funding may finally reflect the reality that significant stresses are being placed on the infrastructure.
While I will certainly miss representing some of those I have worked for over the past few years, I do look forward to working with additional local Representatives and Senators to represent the North Oklahoma and Logan County area.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Murphey Named to Chair Law Enforcement Committee
Oklahoma State Representative Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, has been appointed by House Speaker Chris Benge, to serve as the Chairman of a state law enforcement oversight committee.
Murphey, who is a current member of the Oklahoma Integrated Justice Information Systems Steering (OIJIS) Committee has been requested to Chair the Committee. The Chairmanship of the committee alternates between the Senate and the House of Representatives each year meaning that Murphey will serve as Chairman through the 2010 calender year.
"I have always enjoyed working on law enforcement and technology policy issues, and look forward to this assignment," Murphey said.
The OIJIS Committee serves as the Executive Committee for oversight of the strategic planning, development, funding, implementation and operations of the justice information systems of the state. Membership on the committee includes various representatives from the state's public safety, legislative, prosecutorial and judicial authorities, and is staffed by officials from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
The committee becomes the third standing committee to be chaired by Murphey who also chairs the House of Representatives Government Modernization Committee and is the Chairman of the Legislature's Joint Liaison Committee on State and Education Employees Group Insurance Benefits.
Murphey, who is a current member of the Oklahoma Integrated Justice Information Systems Steering (OIJIS) Committee has been requested to Chair the Committee. The Chairmanship of the committee alternates between the Senate and the House of Representatives each year meaning that Murphey will serve as Chairman through the 2010 calender year.
"I have always enjoyed working on law enforcement and technology policy issues, and look forward to this assignment," Murphey said.
The OIJIS Committee serves as the Executive Committee for oversight of the strategic planning, development, funding, implementation and operations of the justice information systems of the state. Membership on the committee includes various representatives from the state's public safety, legislative, prosecutorial and judicial authorities, and is staffed by officials from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
The committee becomes the third standing committee to be chaired by Murphey who also chairs the House of Representatives Government Modernization Committee and is the Chairman of the Legislature's Joint Liaison Committee on State and Education Employees Group Insurance Benefits.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Murphey Receives Conservative Lawmaker of the Year Award
State Representative Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) has been awarded the designation of Outstanding Conservative State Representative of the Year by the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC).
Murphey was presented with the award April 30 during the organization's awards banquet. OCPAC, one of Oklahoma's largest grassroots conservative organizations, awards the distinction each year to one state Representative and one state Senator. They voted to award Murphey with the designation after he received a rating of 100% on the Oklahoma Conservative Index.
Each year since 1979, the Index has graded Oklahoma legislators so constituents can gauge how conservative or liberal their legislator votes. Murphey was graded on ten issues, including his votes against issuing more government debt and against liberalizing Oklahoma's unemployment benefits to accept federal stimulus money. Murphey was given points for his votes for declaring English to be Oklahoma's official language and for overturning a Gubernatorial veto on a key right-to-life issue.
Murphey says that his polices of voting against issuing new government debt, tax and fee increases and the creation of new government bureaucracies have aided his effort to maintain a conservative voting record. Murphey has also never lost points for missing votes and has maintained a 99% record of being present to vote on legislation.
The award is Murphey's second by a conservative grassroots organization for his work during the 2009 legislative year. Murphey was previously awarded with the designation 2009 Legislation of the year by the group Oklahomans for Responsible Government (OFRG). OFRG presented the award to Murphey based on his work in winning approval for Senate Joint Resolution 12 which puts to a vote of the people whether statewide elected officials should be limited to just two terms in office, and Senate Bill 800 to reform the initiative petition process and require legal challenges to the wording of citizen initiatives to happen before signatures are collected.
"I ran on a platform of representing conservative values when I campaigned for office. I believe this designation shows that I am keeping my word," Murphey said.
Murphey remains the only Oklahoma legislator to maintain a lifetime score of 100% on the Conservative Index, having scored 100% in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Impact of the New Federal Health Care Proposal
Last week the Oklahoma House approved House Joint Resolution 1054 which is the legislative initiative that would codify an Oklahoma law to state that Oklahomans will not be forced to purchase health care and allows Oklahoma's legislative leaders to file suite against the federal law.
I have served as a co-sponsor of the legislation and as a member of the conference committee which approved the proposal. This is an issue which I have included on my 2010 constituent survey (available online at housedistrict31.com) and which currently has the support of approximately 84% of respondents.
The importance of opposing the federal health care initiative has become more and more obvious as the details of the federal law continue to be exposed. The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) recently released the following timeline. Following are just a few of the new provisions:
Because of the health care bill, employers will be required in 2011 to start reporting to the federal government the number of employee benefits they provide.
In 2012, businesses will have to start sending in form 1099s for every business-to-business transaction of $600 or more, which presents a huge paperwork burden for small business. No doubt this cost will be factored into the price of goods and services which we all pay.
In 2013, Medicare payroll tax on wages and self-employment income in excess of $200,000 will increase to 2.35 percent. This will be the first time that funds designated for Medicare will be diverted elsewhere and start a dangerous precedent for using a payroll tax as a revenue raiser.
In 2014, an annual fee will be levied on health insurance companies which will be passed on to small business consumers, but will not apply to big business and labor union self-insured plans. The fee starts at 8 billion dollars in 2014 and by 2019 will increase to 14.3 billion dollars.
Also starting in 2014, penalties will start being assessed to individuals who do not purchase health insurance. By 2016, these penalties will reach a level of 2.5% of each person's income and likely increase from that time forward. Certain businesses will also start to be penalized thousands of dollars if they do not offer health coverage. This cost is very likely to be passed on to consumers.
In 2018, the government will start charging a 40 percent tax on health plans which cost more than $10,200 per year (subject to certain changing conditions). This tax will greatly discourage businesses from offering higher-end health plans to their employees.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of the mandates which will be forced on Oklahoma businesses if the federal government is successful in implementing their health care plan. I believe these efforts will destroy many jobs and it is imperative that we do what we can to prevent the plan from taking effect.
I have served as a co-sponsor of the legislation and as a member of the conference committee which approved the proposal. This is an issue which I have included on my 2010 constituent survey (available online at housedistrict31.com) and which currently has the support of approximately 84% of respondents.
The importance of opposing the federal health care initiative has become more and more obvious as the details of the federal law continue to be exposed. The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) recently released the following timeline. Following are just a few of the new provisions:
Because of the health care bill, employers will be required in 2011 to start reporting to the federal government the number of employee benefits they provide.
In 2012, businesses will have to start sending in form 1099s for every business-to-business transaction of $600 or more, which presents a huge paperwork burden for small business. No doubt this cost will be factored into the price of goods and services which we all pay.
In 2013, Medicare payroll tax on wages and self-employment income in excess of $200,000 will increase to 2.35 percent. This will be the first time that funds designated for Medicare will be diverted elsewhere and start a dangerous precedent for using a payroll tax as a revenue raiser.
In 2014, an annual fee will be levied on health insurance companies which will be passed on to small business consumers, but will not apply to big business and labor union self-insured plans. The fee starts at 8 billion dollars in 2014 and by 2019 will increase to 14.3 billion dollars.
Also starting in 2014, penalties will start being assessed to individuals who do not purchase health insurance. By 2016, these penalties will reach a level of 2.5% of each person's income and likely increase from that time forward. Certain businesses will also start to be penalized thousands of dollars if they do not offer health coverage. This cost is very likely to be passed on to consumers.
In 2018, the government will start charging a 40 percent tax on health plans which cost more than $10,200 per year (subject to certain changing conditions). This tax will greatly discourage businesses from offering higher-end health plans to their employees.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of the mandates which will be forced on Oklahoma businesses if the federal government is successful in implementing their health care plan. I believe these efforts will destroy many jobs and it is imperative that we do what we can to prevent the plan from taking effect.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Link to tonight's GOV20 Radio show with me and @sidburgess about this week's gov20 conference. http://ping.fm/1tSsG
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