Latest Oklahoma Headlines
All the headlines from our Oklahoma Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Lost Oklahoma Flashdrive Contained Social Security Numbers
Apr 23 2009 // The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission says the Social Security numbers of more than 5,500 people is on a flashdrive that was lost by an employee. Commission spokesman John Carpenter says the employee put the...
Oklahoma Consumer Group Blasts Lawmakers, Health Insurers
Apr 23 2009 // An advocacy group criticized Oklahoma legislative leaders on April 21 for what it described as a host of bills that help the health insurance industry at the expense of consumers. Dr. Rene McNall Knapp, who specializes in...
Lawmakers OK Maine Helmet Law Change
Apr 22 2009 // A bill to increase the age for mandatory motorcycle helmet use in Maine has been given final approval by the Legislature and sent to Gov. John Baldacci for his signature. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Emily Cain...
Insurance Company Offers Reward of $35K After Oklahoma Fire
Apr 22 2009 // A reward of $35,000 is being offered for information about the fire that destroyed 70 homes in Midwest City in eastern Oklahoma County two weeks ago. GuideOne Insurance and the Midwest City Police Department announced the...
