OK House Passes Workers’ Comp Reform
Oklahoma House approves workers’ compensation measure
By Michael McNutt
The House of Representatives easily approved a bill Wednesday that would change Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation system from a judicial system to an administrative one.
The Republican-controlled House voted 74-24 to pass Senate Bill 1062. Four Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the measure. No Republican voted against it.
SB 1062 now goes to the Senate. Gov. Mary Fallin has said she would sign the measure.
The measure, revised with a 284-page amendment that was filed Monday night, would allow businesses to opt out of the workers’ compensation system as long as they provide equivalent benefits to injured workers.
In section 2, part 44, SB 1062 reads:
“Surviving spouse” means the employee’s spouse by reason of a legal marriage recognized by any state or nation or by common law, under the requirements of a common law marriage in this state, as determined by the Workers’ Compensation Commission;
That little phrase “by any state would seem to be problematic, to say the least. Gay marriage will in essence be recognized by Oklahoma when it comes to Worker’s Comp claims; which I personally oppose.
Section 2, part 18a,
Employee” means any person, including a minor, whether lawfully or unlawfully employed in the service of an employer under any contract of hire or apprenticeship,
OK, now that one is just plain blatant! You don’t put in unlawfully employed and not mean illegal aliens. The State Chamber has always been against legislation that tried to clamp down on the illegal immigrant problem. The proof of that point can easily be corroborated if you research the Chamber’s suits against such laws as HB1804 passed & few years ago. Now they seem to be opening the door even wider for companies to hire illegal aliens!