Quality Jobs Bill to Help Oklahoma Military Installations

Bill will aid Tinker Air Force Base expansion that adds 1,300 jobs

Oklahoma City (May 21, 2014) – A change to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program will help military installations in the state by making sure dollars stay in state rather than going to the U.S. Treasury. House Bill 1416 allows the reimbursement of state income tax payments to go to a local entity to help offset the cost of expansion.

“Tinker Air Force Base plans to expand and add 1,300 civilian jobs for an important new air refueling tanker program and this bill will ensure it happens,” said State Chamber President & CEO Fred Morgan. “It makes sense to allow Quality Jobs payments to stay local to offset the cost of expansion to bring high-paying jobs to our state.”

Tinker Air Force Base plans on purchasing an old rail yard for the expansion. The Quality Jobs funds would go to a local entity to pay off that purchase. The expansion could lead to another two thousand jobs over and above the 1,300 in the first stage.

“This is bringing high-paying jobs in an important industry to Oklahoma,” said Morgan. “We’d like to thank lawmakers for getting this legislation together quickly when the state was presented with this opportunity.”

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