Labor commissioner candidates to tackle ‘red tape,’ Oklahoma inspector shortages

OKLAHOMA CITY — Candidates for Oklahoma’s labor commissioner on the November ballot vary on how they’d handle staffing shortages, budget requests and dealing with “red tape.”

With ideas ranging from privatizing operations to potentially asking the Legislature for more appropriations, the three men running to lead the Oklahoma Department of Labor have differing visions on how to tackle some of the agency’s biggest challenges and criticisms. 

Democrat Kevin Dawson, Libertarian Mike Hall and Republican Kevin West are set to face off Nov. 3 to be the state’s next labor commissioner. 

Voters will elect one to a four-year term. The current labor commissioner, Leslie Osborn, is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. 

Dawson, of Norman, said he’s the most qualified for the job because of his 43 years working in the railroad industry and 12 years in union leadership. He said he’s an advocate for the general public and the safety of Oklahoma workers. 

“We have to make sure that we are managing the industrial safety side properly so that the general public is given the safest opportunity to continue to function throughout our society and use our services,” he said. 

Hall, of Oklahoma City, said his experience as both a project engineer and manager qualify him for the job. He said he spent years problem-solving and finding efficiencies in projects which will translate well to a state agency. 

“I’m not associated with one of the major political parties, so I view that as an advantage for the taxpayers in some way,” Hall said. “I don’t answer to party bosses or anything like that so I would be able to work with the Legislature, Republicans or Democrats.”

West, of Moore, said his decade in the state Legislature and 40 years in commercial cabinetry make him the most qualified. He said his experience working with state budgets, administrative rules and the legislative process prepared him. 

“I think that combination is fairly unique, being somebody who’s actually worked out on these jobs sites,” West said. “You know what it’s like to hire people, know what it’s like to work on deadlines.”

‘Red tape’

The Department of Labor is charged with the regulation of certain industries, workplace safety and enforces labor laws. But some candidates said some of these regulations and rules can be overburdensome and need to be reevaluated. 

Dawson, 65, said while he is supportive of finding ways to streamline agency operations, safety needs to come first and he’s wary of “cutting red tape.”

“I’m not OK with doing away with something to the point where it’s going to be to the detriment of the general public,” he said. “I’m gonna put people before politics every day of the week.” 

Hall, 59, said the agency needs to reduce “regulatory bloat” that can prevent swift action. 

A lot of the “red tape” that could be cut comes from within the Oklahoma Department of Labor itself, he said. 

“I think a lot of it could be run leaner and smarter, perhaps,” Hall said. “So, streamlining internal processes and just cutting administrative waste, that is another kind of form of red tape that could be improved.”

West, 58, said one of the first things he’ll do if elected is review the department’s administrative rules to ensure everything is necessary, up-to-date and relevant to safety standards. 

“We’ve seen across many different agencies where over time, those administrative rules get outside of those boundaries that the Legislature put in,” he said. “And beyond that, it’s really working with the industry that it affects and making sure that it’s a safety issue and not a barrier to entry.”

Inspector shortages and budgets 

The Department of Labor in July told Fox 25 that there was a staffing shortage for elevator inspectors. The agency inspects things such as elevators, amusement rides and boilers. 

Dawson said to reduce staffing shortages, there may be a need to ask the Legislature for more money in order to fulfill the agency’s mandated responsibilities. 

“We can’t be out here advocating for continuing to freeze budgets and still have a mandate that things have to be inspected,” he said. 

There needs to be strict accountability for spending, but Oklahoma also cannot go without inspectors, Dawson said. Inspectors and other staff working for the agency need to be paid appropriately and competitively, he said. 

“So, in order to accomplish that, if that means that I have to go back to the Legislature and ask the Legislature to live up to their own duties and responsibilities and make sure that we are funded appropriately, I’m OK with doing that,” he said. 

Hall, on the other hand, said inspections could be outsourced to the private sector – specifically insurance companies. 

“I mean, nobody wants to use an unsafe elevator or an amusement ride or be in a workplace that has an unsafe boiler or anything like that,” he said. “… And so I really think the insurance companies make a lot more sense to provide the inspectors on things like that because they’re the ones bearing the financial risk, which can be pretty severe.”

Hall said he does not think the agency’s budget should grow and instead the department should be allocating its current resources better.  

“I do think we have to work around a leaner and smarter operation and allocate the resources to the parts of the department functions that are most essential,” Hall said.  

West also wants to contract with private sector inspectors in the short-term. 

“Ultimately, I think everybody would much prefer that they’d be full-time (state) employees,” he said. “But if we’re not able to keep up with demand, then rather than have elevators either possibly operating unsafely or being shut down, I would much rather go to some outside sources and make sure that the elevators keep running safely.” 

When it comes to offering a competitive salary to agency inspectors and staff, West said it’s important to look at what other states are paying. He said only a small portion of the agency’s “limited” budget comes from legislative appropriations and he’d like to keep this stagnant. 

“But if there’s a need that can be made to the Legislature and they agree, then that’s something that we can definitely look at,” West said.