Bill for Comp Option Reported Among Requests for 2012 Session

By Bill Kidd, Central Bureau ChiefProponents of an alternative to workers’ compensation for treating injured workers in Oklahoma expect Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, to support legislation providing that option in the 2012 legislative session.The Oklahoma Injury Benefit Coalition (OIBC) wants to give employers the option of establishing and managing a benefit plan that complies with the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) instead of participating in the workers' compensation system.Employers would be allowed to opt out of the state workers...