Articles
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Law & Principles
Voters may get chance to pass lawsuit reform
To address problems created by an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling issued last year, state voters could be given the opportunity to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to cap noneconomic damages under legislation awaiting a vote this session.Ray Carter | February 7, 2020
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Law & Principles, Good Government
Court arguments highlight redistricting plan’s potential impact
Arguments before the Oklahoma Supreme Court highlighted how an initiative-petition proposal, which would strip the Oklahoma Legislature of redistricting power and place that authority with an outside commission, could play out in practice.Ray Carter | January 22, 2020
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Law & Principles
Lawmakers adopt rules to impede abuse of audit office
Members of the Oversight Committee for the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) approved rules that would prevent any single legislator or LOFT employee from unilaterally targeting an agency or government official with audits.Ray Carter | December 11, 2019
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Law & Principles
Ruling means one less hoop in redistricting process
In an opinion issued Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that partisanship cannot be a factor weighed by judges in redistricting challenges.Ray Carter | June 27, 2019
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Health Care, Law & Principles
Court rejects Medicaid petition challenge
Making an apparent about-face from a similar ruling issued just a year ago, the Oklahoma Supreme Court found Tuesday that a Medicaid-expansion petition could proceed, even though its gist contained material several justices conceded was misleading to voters.Ray Carter | June 18, 2019
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Law & Principles
Tulsa attorney files landmark suit against Oklahoma Bar Association
A Tulsa attorney has filed a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Bar Association in an effort to break the OBA’s monopoly on licensing and collecting dues from members of the legal profession.Mike Brake | May 16, 2019
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Law & Principles
State leaders consider response to court’s ruling on lawsuit reform
This week the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down a lawsuit-reform law that capped noneconomic (“pain and suffering”) damages at $350,000, declaring it a “special law” that unconstitutionally treated similarly situated plaintiffs differently. State political, business, and medical leaders all say there will be an effort to reinstitute the cap, which has been declared vital to keeping doctors in Oklahoma and improving the state’s attractiveness to entrepreneurs.Ray Carter | April 26, 2019
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Law & Principles
Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down cap on noneconomic damages
In a split decision issued Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court declared a cap on noneconomic “pain and suffering” damage awards is an unconstitutional special law. The ruling, which strikes down a key reform long sought by business leaders and doctors, drew a sharp response from Senate leadership.Ray Carter | April 23, 2019
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Law & Principles
Janus tells OKC audience workers’ rights not yet secure
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with Mark Janus and ruled forced payment of union dues by nonconsenting government workers is an unconstitutional infringement of their free-speech rights. But in an Oklahoma speech on Tuesday, Janus warned that unions and their political allies are working to undermine that hard-won victory.Ray Carter | April 16, 2019
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Law & Principles, Good Government
It all starts at the top: Reforming Oklahoma’s executive branch
If Oklahoma is ever to have good government, the governor must persuade the people to change both the state constitution and the structure of the executive branch of state government.Andrew C. Spiropoulos | January 22, 2019