Senate Passes Bill Allowing Appeal Deliberations behind closed Doors

A bill that would allow Oklahoma’s Workers’ Compensation Commission to deliberate on case appeals in executive session is ready for Gov. Mary Fallin’s signature. The state Senate unanimously approved the bill, which would modify the list of public bodies defined within the state’s Open Meeting Act and stipulate that the list would not include the WCC “when deliberating any appeal before the Commission en banc,” allowing them to hold private deliberations on appeals cases. Oklahoma’s current workers’ compensation statute says that all commission...