Monday, August 12, 2013

Special session on tort reform: Will the legislature avoid constitutional pitfalls?

On August 12, 2013, Gov. Fallin signed Executive Order 2013-30, setting up a special session of the state legislature to address tort reform.  The Executive Order focuses the special session on the provisions of HB1603, which was declared unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in June.  The Executive Order instructs the legislature to pay special care to the state constitutional provisions on logrolling.  (Interestingly, the executive order mis-cites the constitutional provision.)