The State Chamber named a Lawton businessman as its new chairman at the group’s annual meeting at Fort Sill June 18.

Phil Kennedy, owner and president of Comanche Home Center in Lawton, was named chairman of the 2009-10 board of directors. Kennedy’s past accomplishments include:

• Past chairman of the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Past president of the Lawton-Fort Sill United Way
• Served on the Governor’s Commission on Small Business
• Serves on the Oklahoma Small Business Advocacy Committee
• Is the vice-president of the Cameron University Foundation

“Phil brings a wealth of knowledge from several important business sectors and from a part of the state that constantly produces dividends for Oklahoma’s economy,” Rush said. “We are fortunate to have his experiences in such challenging times. He is a well-respected, passionate and effective businessman who knows how to get things done. And this year we will add focus to small business issues and the economic impact of the military in Oklahoma.”

Chamber officials also graded the recently ended legislative session.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee and H.J. Reed, chairman of The State Chamber’s legislative affairs committee, joined The State Chamber’s lobby team to recap the 2009 legislative session. The State Chamber gave the session an “A-minus.” Lawsuit reform was called the session’s greatest accomplishment. The reform package will fairly compensate injured Oklahomans while discouraging frivolous lawsuits. Access to affordable health care should increase, as Oklahoma should no longer lose doctors and nurses to states with better laws. 

“This was definitely a strong year at the Capitol for the Oklahoma business community and one of the best we’ve had in years,”  Richard P. Rush, president and CEO of The State Chamber, said. “The State Chamber and our statewide partners put a ton of energy into this year’s session, and the benefits from that work will be felt for years to come.”

Other results from The State Chamber’s work this session included:

• House Bill 2026: Creates new health care coverage options such as health benefit mandate-free plans for Oklahomans under 40 and expands the Insure Oklahoma! premium assistance program to accept high-deductible plans, which are accompanied with health savings accounts. HB 1127: Funding for Tulsa’s Oklahoma State University Medical Center guarantees osteopathic physicians who often work in rural and underserved areas.
• Senate Bill 938: The 21st Century Quality Jobs Act allows cities, towns and counties to pool resources on economic development projects. The bill should attract high-paying jobs in growth industries.
• HB 1483: Gives Oklahomans priority to use Oklahoma water while opening the door for future water sales to others if they meet certain statutory criteria.
• SB 222: Department of Education accountability changes will ensure student testing and data gathering is more accurate and accessible to the public. 
• SB 313: This legislation will extend tax incentives until July 1, 2012 for the state’s oil and natural gas industry.
• The State Chamber also supported tax credits for alternative energy sources and killed more than a dozen bad bills.