FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2011

Another Bill Protecting Corporate Interests While Hurting Middle Class Passes

SB862 passed today in the House. This bill is another bill designed to protect guilty corporate parties at the expense of innocent civilian victims.

Republicans are masking these bills as “real lawsuit reform,” but during debate today Democrats showed how that claim is misleading at best.

Rep. Richard Morrissette (D-Oklahoma City) argued the point of civil justice has two goals. The first is to make the person who was injured as close to pre-injury state as possible, and the second is to deter wrong doers from committing future harmful behavior. This law counteracts those two goals.

“This is about politics,” Morrissette said during debate. “I have yet to see one bill that talks about creating jobs.”

Morrissette concluded his fiery debate by asking legislators to put politics aside and asked how they would “explain that to your constituents why a quadriplegic police officer can’t get what he deserves.”

House Minority Leader Scott Inman (D-Del City) continued the debate by asking who this bill harms and who it helps. This bill hurts innocent victims while helping the parties who have been found guilty by a judge and jury.

“When you balance it out, it makes it awful difficult to look your constituent in the eyes,” Inman said.

Todd Goodman, Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said he echoes both Inman and Morrissette’s statements and questions where these Republicans’ allegiances lie.

“This isn’t a partisan issue,” Goodman said. “Republicans and Democrats alike have been outspoken on their opposition to this bill and others similar to it. Yet, you look at the votes at the Capitol, and it goes right down party lines. Republicans talk a lot about representing the people, but when it comes to actual legislating, they sure don’t walk the walk.  Anyone, who voted for the bill, who says with a straight face this bill is better for Oklahomans is flat out lying. This bill is nothing more than a continued effort to pander to their corporate special interests.”

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