Hearings on lawsuit reform set

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A 23-member joint House-Senate Committee will open public hearings on lawsuit reform on April 15, legislative leaders said Friday.<br><br>"Examining an issue as divisive as legal

Saturday, April 3rd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A 23-member joint House-Senate Committee will open public hearings on lawsuit reform on April 15, legislative leaders said Friday.

"Examining an issue as divisive as legal reform should be done in a public forum and with much scrutiny," said House Speaker Larry Adair, D-Stilwell.

"We are committed to an open and inclusive dialogue in seeking reforms that will make our system work better for Oklahoma," said Sen. Cal Hobson, D-Lexington. "We want to hear from doctors, lawyers, business people, the insurance industry and victims -- both those who have won and those who have lost in court."

House Bill 2261, the lawsuit reform measure, has been passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is headed for a joint conference committee.

Sen. Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, and Rep. Jari Askins, D-Duncan, are co-chairmen of the bipartisan committee and say they plan to conduct at least four public hearings on the legislation.