Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-5774
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For Immediate Release: February 27, 2006
Sen. James A. Williamson
Bill to Identify Uninsured Motorists Dies in Committee
State
Senator
James A. Williamson said his bill to protect Oklahomans
from uninsured motorists is dead for the session after
it failed to get a committee hearing this session. Williamson,
R-Tulsa called it a blow to law-abiding citizens.
“Over a quarter of all drivers on the road are
uninsured,” said Williamson, R-Tulsa. “Far
too often, those drivers are only discovered once they’ve
already caused damage and injury. My bill could have
helped catch them before they victimized anyone,”
Williamson said.
Senate Bill 1445 would have required drivers to display
a decal on their windshield verifying that they had
insurance, making it easier for police to catch those
who don’t. The bill had been assigned to the Senate
Business and Labor Committee, but the chair, Senator
Leftwich, D-OKC, refused to hear the bill by the deadline
for committee action on measures from the Senate.
“I am extremely disappointed that the Senate Democrat
Leadership refuses to address this important issue.
I am open to any constructive ideas which they may have,
but nothing else has ever been brought forward by them
or the Governor’s office help solve this serious
problem.”
“If you have ever been hit by an uninsured motorist,
you know what havoc it can cause—financially and
so many other ways as well. Even if you have collision
insurance, the deductible alone can still force you
to pay thousands of dollars out of your own pocket.
For those who carry liability only, they can literally
be left stranded,” Williamson said.
“We had an opportunity to do something proactive
to help our citizens by giving law enforcement a new
tool for catching uninsured motorists before they victimized
someone else,” said Williamson. “To make
Oklahomans wait at least another year for this kind
of help is just a slap in the face to law abiding citizens.”
For
more information contact:
Senator Williamson's Office - (405) 521-5624
