OK state legislature to meet in special session
August 13, 2013
By Megan Busse
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma: Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has called a special session of the state legislature to address a 2009 law struck down in June by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The special session will convene on September 3, 2013.[1]
The law tried to prevent frivolous lawsuits and made it easier for a judge to dismiss a case that had no legal merit. It also capped pain and suffering damages at $400,000, but allowed for a judge to award more in special circumstances. The law was ruled unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court because “the bill violated the constitutional requirement that legislation pertain to a single subject to ensure that Oklahoma legislators and voters are aware of a measure’s potential impact.”[2]
Fallin explained the call for the special session, saying, “As lawmakers, we need to act now to protect our businesses and our medical community from frivolous lawsuits and skyrocketing legal costs.”[1]
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 News OK, “Governor orders special legislative session,” accessed August 13, 2013 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "law" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Insurance Journal, “Oklahoma Lawmakers Want Special Session on Business Legal Liability,” accessed August 13, 2013
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