Senate Democrats Help Trial Lawyers Win Early Victory in Lawsuit Reform Battle

- Senate Democrat Leaders Deny Hearing for GOP Lawsuit Reform Bill

Trial lawyers have won an early victory in the lawsuit reform battle at the State Capitol, thanks to some help from their Democrat allies in the Oklahoma State Senate.

Sen. Charles Laster, the Democrat chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not hear the Republicans’ meaningful lawsuit reform bill, Senate Bill 1857, at Tuesday’s Judiciary Committee meeting, effectively killing the measure.

SB 1857 is authored by Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, and Speaker of the House Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville.

“This fight isn’t over yet. Republicans will continue our battle to help protect doctors and small businesses from lawsuit abuse – even though Senate Democrats have given the trial lawyers a victory in the first round,” Coffee pledged.

“The Democrat leaders of the State Senate continue to practice government of, by, and for the trial lawyers,” stated Coffee. “Senate Democrats have spent the past 100 years designing a legal system that encourages lawsuit abuse. If Senate Democrats have their way, lawsuit abuse will remain alive and well for the next 100 years in the state of Oklahoma.”

Earlier this year, Coffee and Hiett challenged Senate Democrats to allow the lawsuit reform effort to start in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The GOP leaders had hoped to get an up-or-down Senate vote on the GOP’s comprehensive lawsuit reform bill. Instead, Senate Democrats refused to even give the bill a committee hearing.

“Senate Democrats have a long history of protecting trial lawyers by blocking meaningful lawsuit reform. Republicans wanted to push this issue in the Senate first to find out if Senate Democrats are going to be obstructionists again in 2006. We are disappointed, but not surprised, to learn that they are,” stated Coffee.

Coffee said he has notified Hiett that due to obstructionism by the Democrat-controlled Senate, the GOP majority in the House of Representatives will need to move on the House’s version of the GOP lawsuit reform bill.