Oklahoma News

Some States Cheered by Virginia Healthcare Decision

Nearly half of all U.S. states are fighting President Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms and those that have taken the battle to court were heartened Monday by a judge’s decision to let Virginia proceed with its lawsuit against the program. “Today’s …

Midwest Economy: North Dakota Tops Region in Job Growth

The Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association, began formally surveying its membership in 1931 to gauge business conditions. The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group uses the same methodology as the national survey to consult supply managers and business …

Court: Officer’s Fitness for Duty Exam OK With ADA

The city of Yakima, Wash., did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act when it required a police officer to take a “fitness for duty” exam (FFDE) before returning to work. According to court documents in Brownfield v. City of …

People

Stephen M. Franz was named senior vice president of Dallas-based managing general agency and wholesale broker Capstone Underwriters LLC. Franz has been with Capstone since 2004. Prior to Capstone, he held positions at all levels of the property/casualty insurance industry …

10 Most, Least Affordable States for Car Insurance

InsWeb, an online insurance comparison provider, recently released its 2010 Car Insurance Affordability Index — a list of the most and least affordable states in which to insure a vehicle. To develop the list, InsWeb ranked all 50 states and …

Crawford, Doak in Oklahoma GOP Insurance Commissioner Runoff

Former Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John P. Crawford and insurance executive John Doak are headed for an Aug. 24 runoff election for the spot on the GOP ticket for state insurance commissioner. The winner of the runoff election will face incumbent …

Two Die in Pittsburgh-area Well Explosion

An oil storage tank at a natural gas well exploded Friday morning, killing two workers, leaving a third man remarkably uninjured and sparking a smoky well fire that smoldered for hours. A team of oil- and gas-well firefighting experts flew …

Ratings Roundup: RMA Residential, Dorinco, NAICO

A.M. Best Co. has placed under review with negative implications the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a-” of Risk Management Association of Illinois-based Residential Construction Employers Council (RMA). The rating actions reflect Best’s “inability …

Oklahoma Insurance Chief Challenges Medicaid Tax

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland has asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to strike down a new state law designed to raise revenue for the state’s Medicaid program. The law imposes a fee on health insurance carriers. Holland filed a petition …

Louisiana, Texas Gain Jobs in June; Arkansas, Oklahoma Post Losses

The South Central states of Louisiana and Texas posted job gains for the month of June, but Arkansas and Oklahoma saw slight losses in employment. The Louisiana Workforce Commission reported Louisiana’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment grew by 5,800 jobs from …