The Chamber’s Business Advocacy Center makes having a voice at the Capitol simple. With just a few clicks, you can stay up-to-date during the legislative session by signing up for The Business Advocate, the Chamber’s newsletter solely focused on key developments at the Capitol during the legislative session. You can also find information on your voting districts and upcoming elections so that you can make your voice heard on the issues that matter to businesses. Together, we can build a stronger business climate for the Greater Oklahoma City area.
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| OKC Business Advocate NOW (June 27, 2025) | The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA championship, boosting the city’s global profile among the sport’s 2.4 billion NBA fans and 3.3 billion basketball followers worldwide. The Chamber’s Legislative Scorecard recognized 100 Oklahoma legislators with perfect scores for supporting business priorities, including Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton and House Speaker Kyle Hilbert. This is the 50th edition of the Business Advocate, covering government and business developments in Oklahoma. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (June 13, 2025) | Oklahoma faces the potential loss of passenger rail service after Texas declined funding for the Heartland Flyer, threatening the route’s continuation beyond October 2025. Special elections filled three vacant Oklahoma House seats without shifting party control. Oklahoma City approved a $2.05 billion budget for fiscal 2026, focusing on public safety, infrastructure, parks, and homelessness programs despite a slight dip in sales tax revenue. George Washington Steele, an Indiana native, served as Oklahoma Territory’s first governor, laying the groundwork for its government and education system. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (May 30, 2025) | The 2025 Oklahoma legislative session adjourned with strong wins for the business community. The Chamber successfully advanced seven requested measures and supported many others, including:
Governor Stitt vetoed 69 bills, but the legislature overrode 50, including important Chamber-backed measures like the “Filmed in Oklahoma Act” and R&D rebates for aerospace and tech. Education policy efforts faced setbacks due to misinformation around a bill to improve data sharing for student outcomes, despite its potential to boost workforce development. The Chamber recognized numerous legislators and leaders for their pivotal roles in advancing pro-business policies this session. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (May 23, 2025) | The Oklahoma Legislature approved a $12.59 billion budget including a 0.25% personal income tax cut, lowering the rate from 4.75% to 4.5%, and eliminating the three lowest tax brackets with a “path to zero” trigger. The tax cut will reduce state revenue by $340.5 million in FY 2027.Transportation funding also increased with a $20 million boost to the ROADS Fund to improve weigh stations, protecting roads from damage caused by oversized loads. Businesses can support public schools through the Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act, which offers a 50% tax credit for donations to schools, effectively doubling contributions and benefiting education while saving taxpayer dollars. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (May 16, 2025) | Oklahoma aims to regain its status as the top U.S. tire manufacturing state by enhancing the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Incentive Leverage Act to attract more high-paying manufacturing jobs. The Greater OKC Chamber PAC continues to support pro-business candidates, offering new membership levels with special benefits. Meanwhile, Medicaid reform talks in Congress focus on work and eligibility rules, likely avoiding major increases in Oklahoma’s state Medicaid costs. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (May 9, 2025) | The Chamber celebrated several legislative wins this session, including extensions of the Oklahoma Quality Events Act and Tourism Development Act, and new laws supporting biosecurity and aerospace incentives. Commerce reform to strengthen leadership is close to becoming law. Camal Pennington was sworn in as Ward 7 City Councilman, prioritizing infrastructure, affordable housing, and Olympic event planning. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (May 2, 2025) | The Chamber’s recent DC Fly-In strengthened ties with Oklahoma’s Congressional Delegation and the Mexican Ambassador, focusing on key federal and trade issues. Senate Bill 224, the Chamber’s top education priority to improve data sharing and student outcomes, passed the Oklahoma House after a close vote. The Texas Legislature is deciding soon whether to fund the Heartland Flyer passenger rail, critical to Oklahoma communities and future expansion plans. Lastly, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber joined the regional MAKO conference to boost collaboration on growth and innovation. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (April 25, 2025) | Oklahoma lawmakers face tight budget talks amid uncertainty over extending federal tax cuts, including a possible cap on the business SALT deduction that could raise taxes by $600 billion nationally. The state’s balanced budget limits spending growth despite strong revenue. President Trump backed off removing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, easing market fears of politicizing the Federal Reserve. The edition also recalls the 1944 Bretton Woods conference, which shaped the global financial system now challenged by rising trade tensions. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (April 18, 2025) | The Oklahoma Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee rejected the “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act” (HB 1203), which would have allowed the State Treasurer to invest up to 5% of certain state funds in bitcoin or other large-market digital assets. The vote highlighted ongoing policy divides, with some legislators opposing proven economic incentives but hesitant about investing in digital currency. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (April 11, 2025) | The Oklahoma House advanced SB 341 to simplify selling state-owned railroads and shift repair costs to private owners. Tax reform talks continue, with lawmakers considering a modest cut to the 4.75% income tax rate. A June 10 special election is set for House District 97 after Jason Lowe’s resignation, with Democrats JeKia Harrison and Aletia Haynes Timmons expected to run. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (April 4, 2025) | Oklahoma voters chose key local leaders April 1, with Jason Lowe winning Oklahoma County Commissioner, Camal Pennington securing Oklahoma City’s Ward 7 council seat, and Mark Nash elected Edmond mayor. The Oklahoma Senate honored the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and FAA Academy for their aviation training and economic impact. After the March 26 deadline, fewer than 800 bills remain in the legislative session, including nine supported by the Chamber. President Trump’s executive order to close the U.S. Department of Education faces legal and congressional hurdles, creating uncertainty for state education funding. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (March 28, 2025) | Greater OKC Chamber marked a key legislative milestone as nine of its ten priority bills—including extensions for economic incentives and bioscience protections—passed full chambers by the March 26 deadline and now advance to the opposite chamber. Trump administration is considering reciprocal tariffs on imported vehicles starting April 2 to address trade imbalances, with nearly half of new U.S. vehicle sales last year assembled abroad. Voters across Greater OKC will head to the polls April 1 for important local races, including city council runoffs, county commissioner, and mayoral contests. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (March 21, 2025) | Key bills advanced, including a six-year extension of the Oklahoma Quality Events Act and a bill to create a private-sector board for the Department of Commerce. Both now move to House committees. The March 26 deadline looms for bills to pass their full chambers. The Chamber expects votes on extensions of the Tourism Development Act, Aerospace Engineering Tax Credits, the Bio Secure Act, Commerce reforms, and SB 642, which addresses indemnity agreements and workers’ compensation for contract employees. Budget and tax policy decisions remain pending as the session reaches its midpoint. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (March 14, 2025) | Greater OKC Chamber’s annual State Spotlight event, Gov. Kevin Stitt and key state senators discussed legislative priorities including tax reform, workforce challenges, and education policy. As session advances, 1,206 bills remain active, including nine of ten Chamber-requested measures. Voters will soon see progress on MAPS 4 youth centers, with four new sites selected. Additionally, the Chamber welcomed government relations intern Andrea Vieira, a University of Oklahoma senior focused on community and policy research. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (March 7, 2025) | Key legislative progress ahead of the first major session deadline, including advancement of aerospace, tourism, and quality events incentives. Notes on the shifting of dynamics in the State Senate, with Democrats increasingly serving as swing votes. The Chamber also reports on federal job preservation efforts tied to Tinker AFB and the FAA center, and celebrates voter approval of a $90 million bond for Moore Norman Technology Center to expand workforce training capacity. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (February 28, 2025) | Senate passage of a five-year extension of the Aerospace Engineering Tax Credit, ongoing Commerce Department reform legislation, and a proposed ordinance to allow Accessory Dwelling Units in urban OKC. It also covers bipartisan efforts to ensure due process in school accreditation decisions and reports on the groundbreaking of the new $42 million MAPS 4 Animal Welfare Center. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (February 21, 2025) | The state’s certified $12.36 billion budget for FY2026—$120 million less than last year—and the potential impact on income tax cut discussions. Also, the federal waste oversight efforts by Sen. Lankford, legislative momentum behind classroom cell phone bans, and continued focus on government efficiency at both state and federal levels. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (February 14, 2025) | Local election results, including key OKC City Council and school board races, and reports on legislative progress supporting workforce data systems and key economic tools like TIF districts. Highlights of the defeat of a bill threatening TIF use, strong momentum for aerospace and tourism incentives, protections for biosciences, and a tax credit proposal for employer-supported childcare. |
| OKC Business Advocate NOW (February 7, 2025) | Gov. Stitt’s State of the State address, early legislative activity on insurance mandates, the Chamber’s stance on property rights in gun legislation, concerns about declining instructional days in schools, and the groundbreaking of the Oklahoma County Behavioral Care Center. |
