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Oklahoma House Approves Contingency Fee Cap.



The AP (2/19, Talley) reports, "The Oklahoma House narrowly approved legislation Wednesday that would ask voters to lower the cap on contingency fees charged by trial attorneys, a proposal opponents described as politically divisive and an unconstitutional infringement on Oklahomans' right to freely enter into contracts." It "would limit contingency fees assessed by trial lawyers on damage awards to their clients at 33 percent of the first $1 million recovered and 20 percent on higher awards." Opponents of the bill "accused Republican supporters of using the issue as a political wedge to raise campaign funds for their re-election and to try to compel Gov. Brad Henry to sign other pending legislation that would make a variety of changes in the state's civil justice system."



The Oklahoma City Journal Record (2/19, Francis-Smith) reports that Oklahoma's Democratic Party is "gearing up for a grass-roots, door-to-door battle over tort reform." The Republican majority in both the state Senate and House of Representatives are "pushing hard for tort reform," but Democratic Gov. Brad Henry is "unwilling to sign a bill containing hard caps on damages." Ivan Holmes, chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said "the Republicans trying to destroy the effectiveness of lawyers in Oklahoma" because "lawyers have been good to the Democratic Party."