Staff
“The first item on that list is fundamental workers compensation reform.” ~ House Speaker T.W. Shannon
Speeches on Tuesday’s organizational day at the Capitol are always full of platitudes, but observers look for every hint to learn what to expect in the upcoming 54th session of the Legislature.
The clear winner may be the workers compensation reform issue because the two legislative leaders did more than hint.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Brian Bingman has been promoting workers comp reform since he’s been in charge, but to his chagrin, it died last year in the state House after pressure from aggressive lawyer groups.
Bingman, along with the State Chamber of Commerce, may have cheered the loudest when the House’s brand new speaker laid out his vision.
In talking about the economy, Shannon’s proclaimed: “The first item on that list is fundamental worker’s compensation reform.”
Speaking across the rotunda, Bingman sounded the familiar tone, as he directly took on the lawyer groups. “What we have is plain to you, and it’s plain to me—we have a status-quo, inefficient, ineffective, adversarial system. It’s bad for business.”
While Bingman and Shannon have very different styles, it appears they’ve already come together on some important key issues.
