Dean of Legislature Doubts Dem Leaders Will Allow Meaningful Lawsuit Workers Comp Reforms

Sen. Ford doubts there will be any meaningful lawsuit and workers comp reforms this session.

Senator Charles Ford, R-Tulsa, has seen many things during his 38 years in the state Legislature.

One thing he has never seen is Democrat legislative leaders abandon their trial lawyer allies – and he doesn’t expect them to start now by allowing meaningful lawsuit reform and workers compensation reform legislation to pass the Senate.

“From the viewpoint of the public and the media, there seems to be some momentum on the side of lawsuit reform and workers comp reform happening in the Legislature this year. But I’ve seen this dog and pony show before, and there is no way the Democrat leadership in the Senate will cross the trial lawyers,” said Ford, a former minority floor leader and the dean of the Oklahoma Legislature. “In the Senate, the trial lawyers always seem to win in the end.”

Ford said he also has doubts about Governor Brad Henry’s recent conversion on the issues of lawsuit reform and workers compensation reform.

“I served with the governor for ten years in the Senate, and his actions here showed he is no friend of lawsuit reform or workers comp reform.

“While Governor Henry was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, any workers comp or lawsuit reform bill that came his way never seemed to get a committee hearing unless it was approved by the trial bar. It is hard to believe Governor Henry has suddenly seen the light and now supports reform.

“Of course, the governor can afford to say he’s now for reform because he knows the Senate Democrat leadership will do the trial lawyers’ dirty work for him and won’t let a real reform bill see the light of day,” Ford said.

Ford predicted the lawsuit reform and workers compensation reform bills will end up in a House-Senate conference committee where the bills will be gutted or killed.

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Senate Communications Division - (405) 521-5774