Tensions Growing Between Courts, Legislature
Tension increasing between Legislature, judiciary
By SEAN MURPHY, Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A recent five-day special session for the Oklahoma Legislature to overhaul the state’s civil justice code ruled unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme court highlights what many see as growing tension between the two branches of government.
Several lawmakers in the increasingly conservative Legislature are growing more vocal about their exasperation with the court, which has struck down numerous laws as unconstitutional. The court in June tossed a sweeping 2009 bill that made numerous changes to the state’s tort laws, ruling the bill was unconstitutional because it included multiple subjects in a single measure. That prompted Gov. Mary Fallin to call the Legislature back for a special session to pass separate bills, and angered many legislators in the process.
“We’re incredibly frustrated the taxpayers’ money had to be spent on reintroducing reforms that were agreed to by Republicans and Democrats back in 2009,” said Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond. “The court waited until we had been out of session for two weeks. They had the case for two years.”
In a concurring opinion to the court’s 7-2 decision written by Justice Yvonne Kauger, the judge suggests the court is growing weary of admonishing the Legislature for not following the constitution, especially a provision that prohibits the inclusion of multiple subjects in a single bill.