Oklahoma Corrections Professionals

With just two weeks left in the legislative session, things are happening very quickly.  There is still no budget agreement, but the word around the Capitol is that it could be announced very soon.  OCP is continuing to work on your behalf, informing legislators of just how damaging substantial budget cuts could be to the DOC and PPB, with the hope that they remember how important it is to protect the public safety.  See below for information on two important bills: one would affect your health insurance and one could affect your annual leave.  If you plan to contact your legislators about either of these, please do so as soon as possible, as time is running out!

HB2888

This bill would cap your health insurance benefits with no chance of an increase until the year 2015.  And all new employees would no longer be able to spend the difference between their insurance costs and their benefit allowance.  Instead of pocketing that extra money each month to spend how they choose, that money would go into a flexible spending account or health savings account to be spent only on health related expenses.  This bill wouldn’t save the state any money, because the employee benefit for new employees will still be the same amount, it would just prohibit them from spending the money however they want.  

If you want to leave open the possibility that your benefits could be raised before 2015, or if you think that new employees should receive the same benefits as current employees, contact your legislator immediately! 

Find your legislators at this website:  http://www.capitolconnect.com/oklahoma/default.aspx

HB3385

This is a bill we informed you about earlier in session.  For DOC employees, it would provide 1.5 days of annual leave for every furlough day worked.  The bill has been stuck in conference committees for two weeks, and if we don’t ask the committee members to hear the bill, it may stay there without ever being passed.  To our PPB members, we have lobbied the legislators to include your agency in the list of agencies receiving this benefit, but currently this bill still doesn’t cover you, so you may want to contact the committee members to ask them to include PPB in the bill.  OCP will do the same.  

As we all know, furloughs are going to take place in both agencies in the upcoming fiscal year.  If you want the legislature to offer some sort of compensation in exchange for the furloughs, contact your legislator today!   Ask them to get HB3385 out of conference and give the bill a hearing immediately! 

Find your legislators at this website:  http://www.capitolconnect.com/oklahoma/default.aspx