Right to work action urged

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Chamber of Commerce officials tried on Monday to revive a defeated right-to-work plan and were accused of political grandstanding by a Senate leader.<br><br>Richard P. Rush, president

Monday, March 20th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Chamber of Commerce officials tried on Monday to revive a defeated right-to-work plan and were accused of political grandstanding by a Senate leader.

Richard P. Rush, president of the state Chamber, led a group of executives from other chambers to the Capitol, where he urged
Senate President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor to permit a floor vote on the issue.

Rush said various groups have commitments from enough senators to place a right-to-work plan on the November ballot.

A right-to-work proposal was defeated on a 7-5 vote by the Senate Business and Labor Committee earlier in the session.

"Right to work is too important to be decided by seven senators," Rush said.

Taylor, D-Claremore, said Rush and others holding a news conference were playing politics.

"When a bill is defeated in committee, it is dead for the session," Taylor said. "Their performance has more to do with politics than anything else."

Right-to-work foes have accused supporters of wanting to use the issue as a political football or they would launch an initiative petition to force a statewide vote.

Taylor said if the state Chamber is truly interested in right to work, it should launch a petition drive to get it on the ballot.

"That approach worked for supporters of pari-mutuel racing, liquor by the drink, cockfighting and a half-a-dozen other issues
so there's certainly nothing stopping right-to-work backers from doing the same thing," he said.

"If it doesn't launch a petition drive, it will be confirmation that the state Chamber is more interested in using right to work as a political wedge issue than it is in resolving the question at the polls," Taylor said.

Oklahoma defeated a right-to-work proposal at a statwide vote in 1964.

Gov. Frank Keating has been pushing for a right-to-work law, but has stopped short of saying he would lead an initiative petition to
get the issue on the ballot.

Taylor said he suspected the chamber is trying to make amends to "some editorial writers."

He cited an editorial in the Shawnee Sun that criticized the Chamber for filing a lawsuit to keep the State Insurance Fund from paying off overdue workers' compensation claims and redistributing excess money to policy holders.

"Butt out, state Chamber," the editorial concluded. "Butt out and try something constructive such as leading a petition drive on
right to work.