For Immediate Release:
April 2, 2004
Legislative Leaders Announce Joint Hearings on Lawsuit Reform
Legislation
House Speaker Larry
Adair and Senate President Pro Tempore Cal
Hobson announced Friday the formation of a 23-member
bipartisan joint committee on lawsuit reform.
The committee, which will be led by Representative Jari
Askins and Senator Mike
Morgan, will conduct a series of open hearings beginning
April 15, to examine the myriad of issues surrounding lawsuit
reform. Members of the joint committee are also expected
to serve as members of the conference committee that will
write the final version of lawsuit reform legislation this
session.
“Examining an issue as divisive as legal reform should
be done in a public forum and with much scrutiny. Our course
of action is the only way to ensure all parties involved
have a voice in the process and an end result on which we
all can agree,” said Adair, D-Stilwell.
“We are committed to an open and inclusive dialogue
in seeking reforms that will make our system work better
for Oklahoma. We want to hear from doctors, lawyers, business
people, the insurance industry and victims – both
those who have won and those who have lost in court,”
said Hobson, D-Lexington.
House Bill 2661, which carries Governor
Henry’s lawsuit reform proposal, has passed out
of the Senate Judiciary Committee and both Adair and Hobson,
authors of the measure, said the bill is eventually headed
for a conference committee.
Morgan and Askins said they plan to conduct four or more
open hearings in which they will take testimony from witnesses.
The co-chairpersons also said a record will be made of the
proceedings.
“Like most Oklahomans, state legislators need to be
educated on this subject as well. Public hearings will allow
committee members the opportunity to become informed on
these difficult issues. In the end we will have a thorough
piece of legislation beneficial to all Oklahomans,”
said Askins, D-Duncan.
“Everyone who wants to be heard on this issue should
have the right to contribute to this discussion and we want
to create an environment where all of those people can have
input into this process and committee members will be given
the opportunity to ask questions – all in an open
forum. The job of the committee will be to take these diverse
views and reach a consensus on what we think will work for
Oklahoma,” said Morgan, D-Stillwater.
The first hearing will be held in the Senate Chamber but
subsequent hearings are likely to be held in the House Chamber.
Askins is a former Stephens County special district judge
and executive director of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole
Board.
In addition to Adair and Chairwoman Askins, House members
named to the joint committee include Rep. Thad
Balkman, R-Norman; Rep. David
Braddock, D-Altus; Rep. Bill
Case, R-Midwest City; Rep. Frank
Davis, R-Guthrie; Rep. Terry
Harrison, D-McAlester; Speaker Pro Tempore Danny
Hilliard, D-Sulphur; Rep. M.C.
Leist, D-Morris; Rep. Jim
Newport, R-Ponca City; Rep. Wayne
Pettigrew, R-Edmond; Rep. Opio
Toure, D-Oklahoma City; and Rep. Mike
Tyler, D-Sapulpa.
Morgan is a former Stillwater Municipal Judge and has served
as an adjunct professor of business law at Oklahoma State
University.
Hobson and Chairman Morgan will be joined on the committee
by Sen. Bernest
Cain, D-Oklahoma City; Sen. Glenn
Coffee, R-Oklahoma City; Sen. Owen
Laughlin, R-Woodward; Sen. Richard
Lerblance, D-Hartshorne; Sen. Angela
Monson, D-Oklahoma City; Sen. Herb
Rozell, D-Tahlequah; Sen. Jerry
Smith, R-Tulsa; and Minority Leader James
Williamson, R-Tulsa.
For
more information contact:
Senate
Communications Office - (405) 521-5774
