Commerce honors Senator Thompson for work on Remote Worker Incentive

OKEMAH, OKLA. – The Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Commerce) honored Senator Roger Thompson for his work to support economic development and community growth. During the 2021 legislative session, Thompson, alongside Representative Kevin Wallace, authored HB2860, the Oklahoma Remote Quality Jobs Incentive Act.

“We've seen the impressive success of the Tulsa Remote program and its ability to recruit talent to our state,” said Brent Kisling, Commerce Executive Director. “Thanks to state leaders like Senator Thompson, we can help other Oklahoma communities implement similar programs, helping them to grow and bring more highly skilled talent to the state.”

The bill encourages communities to develop their own remote worker programs, modeled after the highly successful Tulsa Remote program. It will provide quarterly payments for establishments or public trusts that draw remote workers to Oklahoma.

Launched in 2018 by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Tulsa Remote is a unique recruitment initiative aimed at attracting talented individuals to Tulsa. The program brings remote workers to the community by providing $10,000 grants and numerous community-building opportunities. Each grant is distributed over the course of a year to eligible remote workers or entrepreneurs who relocate to Oklahoma. As of mid-2021, the program has received over 17,000 applications and accepted nearly 500 members.