Fight to Approve Workers’ Comp Judges in Oklahoma Goes On

Undeterred by the governor’s veto, the Oklahoma Senate is forging ahead with the push to gain authority to approve judicial appointments in the state. The Senate has passed a referendum HJR 1041, which would allow voters to decide the issue.

The Senate took the action after Gov. Brad Henry vetoed Senate Bill 609, which he said “would have modeled Oklahoma’s judicial selection process after the highly partisan system in Washington, D.C., and reduced the number of judges on the workers compensation court from 10 to eight.”

The governor also said SB 609 was unconstitutional because it impermissibly eliminated two judges from the court in the middle of their terms.

In an announcement released by Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, the Senate leader said legislators “are disappointed in the governor’s veto, because we’ve worked very hard to bring responsible reform and increased accountability to the Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation system. Contrary to what the governor said, this legislation removes the politics from the process, and we look forward to sending this to the people for them to have the final say.”