Keating signs disability payment bill

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Governor Keating signed a bill Friday to pay late disability awards for about six thousand injured workers. <br><br>The governor says some workers have waited five years for their

Friday, May 26th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Governor Keating signed a bill Friday to pay late disability awards for about six thousand injured workers.

The governor says some workers have waited five years for their disability awards.

State Insurance Fund officials have indicated they will begin mailing out the payments next week.

The bill passed the state House and Senate Wednesday night.

The proposal will pay $43.6 million dollars to injured workers who are owed money by the Multiple Injury Trust Fund.

The bill also calls on the State Insurance Fund to refund a dividend of about $23 million to its policyholders instead of $150 million dollars referred to earlier.

An additional $6.6 million in dividends will go to state agencies, but that money will be plowed back into the trust fund under terms of the bill.