Democrat Leadership’s Watered-Down Tort Bill Blocked by Bipartisan Majority

- Senate Democrat leaders refuse to allow debate and a vote on GOP amendment for real lawsuit reform

By a 21-25 vote Monday, a watered-down tort bill authored by the State Senate’s Democrat leadership was defeated by a bipartisan majority.

All 21 Republican senators present, joined by 4 Democrat senators, voted against the watered-down measure, Senate Bill 1874.

“SB 1874 is a watered down bill that is intended to protect trial lawyers from meaningful lawsuit reform,” stated Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “Republican senators voted against this bill because Oklahoma needs real lawsuit reform, not another trial-lawyer protection act.”

Senate Democrats, however, successfully used a procedural move to block debate and a vote on an amendment filed by Coffee. The Coffee Amendment would have inserted the lawsuit reform package authored by Coffee and House Speaker Todd Hiett into the Democrats’ bill. Only one Democrat senator voted with the Republicans against blocking the Coffee Amendment.

“The unwillingness of Senate Democrat leaders to allow a debate and a vote on my amendment proves they are against meaningful lawsuit reform. The liberal Democrat leadership is working overtime to protect their trial lawyer allies from real and meaningful lawsuit reform,” said Coffee.

“This is not the end of the fight. Republicans in the Oklahoma Legislature will continue our battle to stop lawsuit abuse against doctors and small businesses in the state of Oklahoma,” Coffee stated.