State Chamber President Fred Morgan isn’t happy that HB2155 is dead this year. The bill would have allowed Oklahoma employers to offer alternative workers’ compensation insurance to their employees, as long as the benefits were similar to the state’s plan.
“Oklahoma’s high workers’ compensation costs are an impediment to economic development growth in our state. In the recently-released FallinForBusiness.com survey, 84 percent of Oklahoma employers ranked our state’s workers’ compensation costs as poor or fair, making it the lowest rated business climate factor considered in the survey. Our system is consistently ranked as one of the worst in the nation. This is costing Oklahoma jobs and it is unacceptable,” said Morgan.
“We are disappointed the members who voted against this bill listened to those who prefer the status quo instead of business owners in their districts who are desperate for reform to the workers’ compensation system, essentially killing the bill for the year. The only winner today is the workers’ compensation attorneys who profit from the current adversarial system.
“This legislation would have given Oklahoma businesses an alternative to the state’s costly workers’ compensation system that would have protected workers and allowed our businesses to grow and succeed. I would like to thank all the lawmakers—especially authors Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman and House Speaker Kris Steele, as well as Sen. Anthony Sykes and Rep. Fred Jordan for carrying the bill on their respective floors—who voted for this important reform. It is absolutely imperative we continue to work to fix our broken system in the years to come.”
This bill had a chance if only it had some reduced language and was better suited to fit the cliimate. Reform in Workmen’s Compensation does not have to be all encompassing but must be addressed. Sorry for all parties!