GOP Workers’ Comp Plan Reduces Costs By Three Times Amount of Henry’s ‘Watered-Down’ Plan

State Sen. Scott Pruitt, R-Broken Arrow, announced that a Republican workers’ compensation reform plan is estimated to reduce costs by three times as much as a competing proposal by Democrat Gov. Brad Henry.

Pruitt said that independent analyses released this week by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) estimates that the Henry plan would reduce costs by only
$20-$51 million. In comparison, NCCI estimates the GOP plan, authored by House Speaker Todd Hiett and Pruitt, would save three times as much – $70 to $158 million.

“We’ve been saying all along that our plan is real reform and provides significantly more savings than the governor’s watered-down plan. You can’t protect lawyers from reform like the Henry plan tries to do and still reach the kind of big workers’ comp savings we need in Oklahoma,” Pruitt stated.

“I would challenge Gov. Henry to come to the bargaining table immediately so we can get a final agreement on House Bill 2046. Oklahomans deserve a workers’ comp reform bill that reduces costs by up to $158 million. Let’s roll up our sleeves, get this bill through the Senate and to the governor’s desk. It is urgent that we make this happen soon,” Pruitt said.