State House passes Governor's lawsuit reform plan

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- The Oklahoma House Thursday passed a lawsuit reform bill backed by Governor Brad Henry and sent it to the state Senate for final action. <br/><br/>The House voted 68-to-32 for the

Thursday, May 27th 2004, 5:42 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- The Oklahoma House Thursday passed a lawsuit reform bill backed by Governor Brad Henry and sent it to the state Senate for final action.

The House voted 68-to-32 for the lawsuit reform plan, despite criticism from some Republicans that it does not go far enough to protect business.

Medical groups urged passage of the bill, saying it is needed to hold down liability insurance rates.

The Senate is expected to take up the lawsuit reform plan early Friday, the last day of the 2004 legislative session.

Henry calls the bill the most sweeping tort reform legislation in state history. He says it would cut down on frivolous lawsuits and save doctors $10,000 on their insurance costs.