Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Alabama Senate Approves Auto Insurance Verification Database
Mar 11 2011 // The Alabama Senate has voted to set up a computer database that would allow county tag officials and law enforcement to instantly check whether a vehicle has liability insurance. The Senate voted 35-0 Wednesday for a bill...
Mississippi Senate Passes Auto Insurance Verification Bill
Mar 11 2011 // A bill designed to force compliance with Mississippi mandatory insurance laws passed this week in the Senate, and was among several proposals facing a legislative deadline. The bill would allow the state Department of...
Senate Passes Patent Reform, 95-5
Mar 10 2011 // The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to overhaul U.S. patent laws, backing a measure aimed at chipping away at a huge backlog of patent applications and offering cheaper alternatives to litigation. In a 95-5 vote, the...
Obama Administration Appeals Florida Judge’s Healthcare Ruling
Mar 8 2011 // The Obama administration Tuesday appealed a U.S. judge’s ruling in Florida that struck down its landmark healthcare overhaul law as unconstitutional because it required Americans to buy healthcare insurance or face a...
Republican Flood Insurance Bill Gets Positive Initial Reception
Mar 8 2011 // A Republican draft of legislation to reform the federal flood insurance program would renew the program for five years, phase out most rate subsidies, tie coverage limits to the rate of inflation, vary the deductible by...
South Dakota Senate Panel Rejects Bill Challenging Insurer Subrogation
Mar 7 2011 // A bill aimed at changing South Dakota’s insurance law to give some injured people a better chance of receiving full compensation for their losses has been rejected by a state Senate panel. However, one of the...
Washington Senate Passes Workers Compensation Change Opposed by Labor
Mar 7 2011 // The Washington state Senate approved a measure Saturday that would drastically change the state’s workers compensation system by establishing an option for lump sum settlements. The 34-15 vote was a significant win...
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...
Missouri Senate Endorses Change in Workplace Bias Law
Mar 4 2011 // Legislation revising parts of Missouri’s laws on workplace discrimination is moving through the state Senate. The chamber gave first-round approval to a bill changing the legal standard people must meet when they...
North Carolina Senate Approves Cap on Malpractice Awards
Mar 4 2011 // Limits on medical liability lawsuits, including a cap on certain jury awards, cleared the North Carolina state Senate this week in legislation that Republican backers argue will keep malpractice insurance premiums stable...
Democrat Fondren to Challenge Chaney in Mississippi Insurance Race
Mar 4 2011 // Incumbent Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, a Republican, will face opposition in his bid for re-election. Louis Fondren, a Democrat, who ran for governor in 2007, is running against Chaney. Fondren, an...
Republicans to Re-launch U.S. Flood Insurance Overhaul
Mar 4 2011 // Draft legislation to overhaul the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program will be unveiled next week, said the Republican chairman of a congressional insurance oversight panel Thursday. Representative Judy Biggert told...
Wyoming Senate Kills Workplace Gun Bill
Mar 3 2011 // A Wyoming legislative committee has killed a bill that would have barred employers in the state from prohibiting their workers from keeping guns in their vehicles at the workplace. The Senate Transportation Committee voted...
Senate Amends Patent Reform Bill, Vote Could Come This Week
Mar 2 2011 // The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to strip controversial provisions out of a bipartisan bill to revamp the U.S. patent system and clear a years long backlog of patent applications. The vote was 97 in favor and two...
New Mexico Senate Confirms Workers’ Comp Director
Feb 28 2011 // The New Mexico Senate on Wednesday confirmed Ned Fuller as director of the Workers’ Compensation Administration. Fuller was nominated by Gov. Susana Martinez and began work Jan. 24 as the director designee. Fuller,...
North Carolina Senate Panel Alters Malpractice Awards Cap Bill
Feb 28 2011 // A legislative committee debating a measure that would place limits on awards in medical malpractice lawsuits and change some rules for the litigation could vote on the measure early this week. The Senate Finance Committee...
South Dakota Senate Panel Rejects Subrogation Bill
Feb 27 2011 // A measure aimed at changing South Dakota’s insurance law to give some injured people a better chance of receiving full compensation for their losses has been rejected by a state Senate committee. However, one of the...
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,...
Senate to Vote on Patent Damages Reform After Break
Feb 22 2011 // The U.S. Senate aims to begin consideration next month of a bipartisan bill to revamp the U.S. patent system and reduce the likelihood of what critics see as excessive damage awards, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid...
