Special Session Underway
Oklahoma legislative special session gets underway at a cost of $30K a day
BY GRAHAM LEE BREWER Staff Writer
The Oklahoma Legislature began a special session on lawsuit reform Tuesday, acting quickly to streamline proceedings that are costing taxpayers $30,000 a day.
Photo by Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman.
Gov. Mary Fallin, bottom center, faces microphones and cameras in the Capitol rotunda as she makes comments to the media before Tuesday’s special session started. Lawmakers gathered in their respective chambers at the state Capitol Tuesday afternoon, Sep. 3, 2013, on the first day of a special session called by Gov. Mary Fallin. Photo by Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman.
Republicans introduced new rules placing limits on amendments and floor discussions. They quickly beat back Democratic attempts to expand the focus beyond resurrecting civil justice changes thrown out in June by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Those changes, backed by business interests, are intended to limit frivolous lawsuits.
“I think this is one of the most important issues facing the state of Oklahoma,” Gov. Mary Fallin said Tuesday. “Prior to 2009 when the Legislature took up lawsuit reform with Gov. Brad Henry, and also with Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, they passed a bipartisan piece of legislation that I still believe was very helpful to our state.”