Senate Democrats Pass ‘Bogus’ Lawsuit Reform Bill

Senate Democrats are not serious about passing meaningful lawsuit reform, Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said Wednesday.

Senate Democrats passed Gov. Brad Henry’s watered-down lawsuit bill on a party-line vote Wednesday as part of House Bill 1554. Republicans, who support real lawsuit reform, opposed the Democrats’ watered-down version.

“For two years in a row, Gov. Henry and the Democrats have passed bogus lawsuit reform bills. Senate Republicans believe passing nothing this year is better than allowing the Democrats to pass a bogus lawsuit bill for the third year in row. We need meaningful lawsuit reform this year, not more window dressing,” stated Coffee.

Meanwhile, Coffee kept House Bill 2047 alive by striking the title and inserting a meaningful provision to eliminate “joint and several” liability. HB 2047 is the lawsuit reform bill authored by Coffee and House Speaker Todd Hiett.

“Senate Democrats refused to allow us to have an up or down vote on the original bill, so we did the best we could by putting a small but meaningful reform provision in the bill to keep the issue alive,” Coffee said.