Workers' comp, economic development, health care lead issues for Oklahoma's chambers of commerce

The group, including the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Tulsa Regional Chamber, unveiled the legislative agenda for the year Wednesday.

With more than 30 bills filed this session aimed at changing Oklahoma's workers' compensation system, the issue will be one of the centerpieces of the chambers' 2013 legislative agenda, state chamber President Fred Morgan said.

At least two bills on tap this legislative session are aimed at replacing the state's judicial workers' compensation system with an administrative system.

The current judicial system for handling workers' compensation cases is too costly and time consuming for both businesses and workers, Morgan said.

“Our system is broken as much for the employees as it is for the employers,” Morgan said.

The chambers also will advocate for the continued funding of economic development incentives. While some tax credits and other incentive programs have come under scrutiny in recent years, the programs are vital to grow the state's economy, said Roy Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.