Latest Oklahoma Headlines
All the headlines from our Oklahoma Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma’s Workers’ Comp Opt-Out, 180-Day Cutoff Ruled Unconstitutional
Mar 21 2016 // The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission has determined that the opt-out portion of the state’s 2013 workers’ compensation statute is unconstitutional. Ruling on an appeal under the provisions of the...
Oklahoma Treatment Plant Operator to Pay $1M for Drinking Water Violations
Mar 18 2016 // The operator of Hugo’s water treatment plant will pay nearly $1 million to help small Oklahoma communities upgrade water treatment facilities as part of a settlement of drinking water violations that left thousands...
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner: Department Can Fund Itself
Mar 17 2016 // Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak has requested that the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) no longer receive appropriated funds from the state. He said his office as the has the ability to function on the...
Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Oklahoma’s Bomford, Couch & Wilson
Mar 16 2016 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Bomford, Couch & Wilson Inc. in Miami, Okla. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Established in 1904, Bomford, Couch & Wilson (BCW) is a retail insurance broker...
Oklahoma Court Says Workers’ Comp 180-Day Rule Is Unconstitutional
Mar 15 2016 // Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation system took a hit on March 1, 2016, when the state’s Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional the provision in the 2013 Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Act that...
After Mass. House OK, Senate Takes Up Uber Regulations
Mar 14 2016 // It seems likely based on recent legislative developments that Massachusetts will adopt regulations for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, but it’s still far too early to assume what the final rules might...
Denied Federal Flood Help, Oklahoma Governor Appeals
Mar 14 2016 // Gov. Mary Fallin is appealing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of individual assistance for residents and businesses in nine eastern Oklahoma counties hit by a winter storm. The storm began Dec. 26...
By a Big Margin, Oklahoma House Passes Insurance Mandate for Autism Coverage
Mar 11 2016 // Legislation that would require health insurers to cover autism treatment for children has been overwhelmingly approved by the Oklahoma House. By a vote of 76-20, House members passed House Bill 2962 following an emotional...
Oklahoma National Guard Airman with Cancer Expects to Lose Insurance
Mar 11 2016 // In early 2014, as his Oklahoma Air National Guard unit ramped up for a Middle East deployment, Senior Airman Jesse Daniels noticed he wasn’t feeling well. He got tired after just a few minutes on his feet. He...
Oklahoma Bill Would Confirm Oil & Gas Regulators’ Authority
Mar 10 2016 // A proposal that would confirm state regulators’ authority to bind companies to their directives has passed the state House and heads to the Senate. The state House of Representatives passed the bill that would...
Storm System Dumps Heavy Rain on South Central States, More Expected
Mar 10 2016 // A large storm system has drenched areas in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas that were already inundated with heavy rainfall this week. Two people have drowned in Oklahoma and Texas. Nearly a foot of rain fell over parts of...
Earthquake Response/Wastewater Reduction Plan for Central Oklahoma Unveiled
Mar 8 2016 // The Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s (OCC) Oil and Gas Conservation Division (OGCD), in response to the risk of triggered earthquakes, announced actions to further reduce the amount of oil and gas wastewater...
Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co., Subsidiary Upgraded
Mar 8 2016 // A.M. Besthas upgraded the financial strength rating to B (Fair) from B- (Fair) and the issuer credit rating to “bb+” from “bb-” for the members of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Group:Oklahoma Farm Bureau...
Aetna Acquisition of Louisville-Based Humana Gets OK from Kentucky, Florida Regulators
Mar 7 2016 // Louisville, Ky.-based Humana has been approved for takeover by Aetna by Kentucky regulators, according to a statement from the Kentucky Department of Insurance Commissioner Brian Maynard. The order approving the request...
FORTIFIED Home-High Wind, Hail Programs Launched at National Tornado Summit
Mar 3 2016 // The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) launched its new FORTIFIED Home–High Wind and Hail programs at the National Tornado Summit in Oklahoma. The programs are designed to help homeowners build...
Oklahoma’s Workers’ Comp Opt-Out Act Ruled Unconstitutional
Feb 29 2016 // The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission has determined that the opt-out portion of the state’s 2013 workers’ compensation statute is unconstitutional. Ruling on an appeal under the provisions of the...
Pipeline Companies Ordered to Pay $6.5 M in Damages from Oklahoma Wildfire
Feb 29 2016 // Two pipelines companies have been ordered to pay more than $6.5 million in damages to more than 70 plaintiffs whose property was destroyed in a 2012 wildfire in Oklahoma. Court documents say a Payne County jury ordered IPS...
5th Annual National Tornado Summit Turning into an International Event
Feb 25 2016 // With registered attendees from as far away as Nepal and as nearby as Canada, the 2016 National Tornado Summit to be held next week in Oklahoma City has become an international event. The Oklahoma Department of Insurance,...
Attorney: U. of Oklahoma Settles Suit over Painting Stolen by Nazis
Feb 24 2016 // An attorney for a French woman who sued the University of Oklahoma over a painting that the Nazis stole from her family says a settlement has been reached and that the university will return the painting to her. New York...
Oklahoma Wildfire That Burned Homes, Outbuildings Almost Contained
Feb 23 2016 // Oklahoma Forestry Services says firefighters have almost contained a large wildfire east of Okmulgee. Officials say the Pharoah-Nuyaka fire has burned about 34 square miles and is about 60 percent contained. But residents...
