Comp Commission Postpones Argument on Whether ERISA Governs Opt-Out Plans

The Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission has pushed back the date for oral argument over whether employers who opt out of the state comp system are subject to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Bob Burke, the attorney for Judy Pilkington and Jonnie Vasquez, said the hearing is tentatively rescheduled for next Wednesday at 1 p.m.  Pilkington and Vasquez had both suffered injuries while working at Dillard's, which was one of the first employers to take the "Oklahoma Option" once participation in the comp system became voluntary in 2013. ...