GOVERNOR’S COMP PLAN MOVES FORWARD

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry’s workers’ compensation reform bill, Senate Bill 846, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 5 to 4 vote. The vote split on party lines with Republican members voting against the bill.

GOP committee members complained that the Democratic governor’s bill is watered down. However, the bill’s author, Judiciary Chairman Sen. Charlie Laster, (D-Shawnee), said its passage out of committee puts the measure one step closer to bringing a comprehensive workers’ compensation reform package to Oklahoma businesses.

The Republicans said the governor’s task force that developed the bill made no effort to determine whether the proposal reduces workers’ comp insurance costs, and if so, by how much. House and Senate Republicans have their own workers’ comp reform plan that they estimate will save Oklahoma employers more than $100 million a year on workers’ comp costs.

Both Democrat and Republican leaders expressed confidence that a bi-partisan agreement on workers’ comp reform could be reached.