Latest Oklahoma Headlines
All the headlines from our Oklahoma Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma Lawmaker Wants Study of Possible Dual Workers’ Comp Systems
Mar 16 2011 // Oklahoma State Rep. Joe Dorman wants to study an idea brought to him by a constituent that the lawmaker said could lead to significant workers’ compensation reform and help boost business growth and economic...
Business Lobby Critical of GOP Immigration Measure in Oklahoma
Mar 14 2011 // A quiet campaign by Oklahoma’s business community to head off tough new immigration legislation is causing an angry rift among Republicans in the Legislature, some of whom charge that voters’ desire for more...
Workers’ Comp Reform Package Approved by Full Oklahoma Senate
Mar 14 2011 // The full Oklahoma Senate has approved Senate Bill 878, a workers’ compensation bill authored by Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, and Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, the Senate announced. The bill was crafted in...
Tort Reform – How Far to Go?
Mar 7 2011 // States as far flung as Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are considering, or have enacted, tort reform measures aimed at reducing the number of meritless lawsuits filed and lowering the cost of malpractice insurance....
Bill Banning Texting While Driving Advances in Oklahoma
Mar 7 2011 // Under legislation approved by a House committee, beginner drivers could face hefty fines and possibly lose their driving privileges if caught texting while driving. Rep. Danny Morgan’s measure, House Bill 1316, will...
Tort Reform – How Far to Go?
Mar 7 2011 // States as far flung as Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are considering, or have enacted, tort reform measures aimed at reducing the number of meritless lawsuits filed and lowering the cost of malpractice insurance....
Oklahoma Senate Approves Cap for Non-Economic Damages in Lawsuits
Mar 7 2011 // The Oklahoma Senate passed a lawsuit reform measure that would put a hard cap on non-economic damages — or pain and suffering awards — in lawsuits at $250,000. Supporters said the bill will help end Oklahoma’s...
Oklahoma House Committee Approves Texting Ban
Mar 4 2011 // Texting would be banned in school zones and for motorists under the age of 18 under legislation approved by an Oklahoma House committee. The measure by Rep. Danny Morgan of Prague was approved 9-7 by the House Public...
Oklahoma House Bill Would Cap Noneconomic Damages at $300K
Mar 2 2011 // House Bill 2128 has cleared the Oklahoma House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. The measure would include a cap of $300,000 for noneconomic damages in all civil actions and repeals the inactive indemnity fund. It...
Idaho Bill Says Driving & Texting OK, As Long As Driver Isn’t Distracted
Mar 1 2011 // An Idaho House representative has proposed a bill to allow people to text and drive — as long as they’re not distracted. House Bill 141, proposed by Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, says no person operating a...
Oklahoma Teacher Disfigured in Fire Opposes Liability Damage Caps
Feb 27 2011 // After a lengthy battle with breast cancer, Connie Plumlee was undergoing her last reconstructive surgery when something went horribly wrong. A fire believed to have started from a cauterizing tool in the operating room...
Oklahoma Senate Votes for $250K Limit on Jury Awards
Feb 25 2011 // The Oklahoma Senate has approved a bill to limit pain and suffering awards to $250,000, despite concerns from members that the decision should be made by juries. The Senate voted 29-18 for the bill by Sen. Anthony Sykes,...
Oklahoma Lawmakers Aim to Increase Consequences for Uninsured Motorists
Feb 23 2011 // To increase the incentive for all Oklahoma drivers to carry mandatory liability auto insurance, a House of Representatives committee voted to prohibit uninsured drivers from being able to sue for vague “pain and...
Oklahoma Governor Says She Won’t Replace Workers’ Comp System
Feb 21 2011 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says recommendations from a panel she appointed to overhaul the workers’ compensation system won’t include a proposal to change to a system where workers with claims don’t have...
People
Feb 21 2011 // Joe De Poo Dallas-based RISC Inc. added Joe de Poo as vice president in its Transportation Department. De Poo has more than 25 years of insurance industry experience, most of which has been dedicated to Commercial...
Declarations
Feb 21 2011 // An Incremental Approach “We have been working on lawsuit reform for years, taking mostly an incremental approach.” —Oklahoma Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee. The...
Oklahoma Agents Group Outlines Legislative Interests for 2011
Feb 18 2011 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma (IIAO) is following a number of insurance related measures that have been introduced in the current state legislative session. According to IIAO President and CEO Dan Ramsey,...
Frigid Air, Snow, Worry Ranchers in Oklahoma, Arkansas
Feb 11 2011 // An icy blast tugged temperatures well below zero degrees in a large swath of the South on Feb. 10 leaving ranchers and farmers fretting about their animals after a winter storm dropped 2 feet of snow on parts of Arkansas...
Oklahoma Senate Committee Passes Lawsuit Reforms
Feb 10 2011 // The Oklahoma Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 8 approved five lawsuit reform measures that are key components of the Senate Republican legislative agenda. “We have been working on lawsuit reform for years, taking...
Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Wants Workers’ Comp Overhaul
Feb 8 2011 // Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Mark Costello is asking lawmakers to overhaul the state’s workers’ compensation system. Costello appeared before the Oklahoma House’s Committee on Insurance. He’s...
