Latest Oklahoma Headlines

All the headlines from our Oklahoma Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Okla. Governer Vetos Insurance Bill; Teacher Bill

May 28 2009 // Gov. Brad Henry has vetoed bills dealing with liability insurance and what can be said at teacher meeting. Henry struck down the measures late Tuesday night. His veto total for the year now stands at 18. One bill...

Oklahoma Gov. Signs Comprehensive Tort Reform Legislation

May 22 2009 // After years of wrangling between Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Oklahoma over lawsuit reforms in the state, Gov. Brad Henry has signed into law tort reform legislation aimed at curbing frivolous lawsuits and...

Oklahoma AG: Law Allowing Guns in Vehicles at Workplaces Will Stand

May 22 2009 // A 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that allows Oklahomans to store firearms in locked vehicles parked on company property will stand after the filing deadline passed for further legal appeals, Attorney General Drew...

Oklahoma’s Bramlett Receives Big ‘I’ Award for Service to Other Agents

May 22 2009 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) earlier this month awarded the 2008 Sidney O. Smith Award to Bobby Bramlett, president and CEO of the Bramlett Agency in Ardmore, Okla....

Oklahoma Senate Approves Workers’ Compensation Judge Plan

May 21 2009 // Republicans have pushed another issue to a statewide vote to counter a gubernatorial veto – this time a plan to require Senate confirmation of Workers’ Compensation Court judges. The Oklahoma Senate gave final...

Ratings Recap: Georgia Farm, Okla. Farm, State Auto, Premier, Medmarc

May 20 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to ‘B++’ (Good) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings to “bbb+” from “a-” of Georgia Farm Bureau Group...

Oklahoma House Passes Workers’ Comp Judge Resolution

May 20 2009 // A resolution that would ask voters to require Senate confirmation of Oklahoma Worker’s Compensation Court judges has passed the Oklahoma House less than a month after Gov. Brad Henry vetoed similar legislation. The...

A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Group

May 19 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to B++ (Good) from A- (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings to ‘bbb+’ from ‘a-‘ of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Group and its members, Oklahoma...

Oklahoma Readies Uninsured Driver System for Memorial Day Weekend

May 19 2009 // The Oklahoma Highway Patrol could be using the state’s electronic insurance verification system in time for the Memorial Day weekend travel rush. The system will be able to instantly verify whether a driver is...

Charges Dropped Against Aide to Former Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner

May 18 2009 // Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has dropped five felony charges against an aide to former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher. Fisher served prison time on convictions for embezzlement and perjury tied to an...

Fight for IPC Re Intensifies; Pirates Continue Attacks; Solvency II Gets EU OK

May 18 2009 // A good old-fashioned fight has developed between Bermuda-based Validus Holdings and the Max Capital Group over the latter’s planned amalgamation with IPC Re. At the end of March, Max announced that it had made a deal...

Spring Storms Tear Up Midwest, Claim 3 Lives in Missouri

May 15 2009 // Citizens in four Midwestern states are cleaning up after violent storms killed three people in northern Missouri, damaged hundreds of homes and left thousands without power. Authorities reported at least two tornadoes...

Contractors’ Proof of Liability Coverage Bill Sent to Oklahoma Gov.

May 13 2009 // Oklahoma Senate Bill 306, by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, which requires contractors to provide proof that they have general liability insurance is headed for the desk of Gov. Brad Henry. “We’ve seen too many cases of...

Oklahoma Lawmakers Forge Agreement on Lawsuit Reform Package

May 12 2009 // Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee and House Speaker Chris Benge have announced that a compromise has been reached on a long sought comprehensive lawsuit reform package for the state. Coffee and Benge and their...

Electronic Insurance Verification System Being Launched in Oklahoma

May 5 2009 // Police across Oklahoma soon will be able to access a new electronic insurance verification system designed to crack down on uninsured motorists. Five police departments across the state began using the computerized system...

Fight to Approve Workers’ Comp Judges in Oklahoma Goes On

May 4 2009 // Undeterred by the governor’s veto, the Oklahoma Senate is forging ahead with the push to gain authority to approve judicial appointments in the state. The Senate has passed a referendum HJR 1041, which would allow...

Louisiana Lawmakers OK $133M in Stimulus Spending

Apr 28 2009 // Four more highway projects, including the widening of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge, will be funded with Louisiana’s share of the federal stimulus package after receiving quick approval Monday from lawmakers. The $133...

Oklahoma Commissioner Files Lawsuit Against Auto Warranty Co.

Apr 28 2009 // Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland has filed for and received a Temporary Restraining Order against VSI Vehicle Services Inc. in Oklahoma County District Court. The commissioner has also filed a lawsuit against...

Oklahoma Senate Rejects Attorney Fee Caps; Tort Reform Bill Still Alive

Apr 24 2009 // The Oklahoma Senate rejected a plan to cap plaintiff attorney fees, while voting to keep alive a Republican-sponsored bill to shake up the state’s civil justice system in an effort to curtail lawsuits. Senate...

Oklahoma Gov. Vetoes Bill Targeting Attorney Political Lobbying

Apr 23 2009 // Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has vetoed a bill that would have prohibited attorneys in that state from using money from client settlements for political lobbying. The bill, HB 1601, by Rep. Dan Sullivan, would have made it...