Panel Takes Testimony on Privatizing MT Fund

A Montana legislative panel is studying whether to privatize that state's Workers' Compensation Fund, and it took testimony on Tuesday from Larry Jones, a lawyer for Liberty Mutual Northwest (second largest comp carrier in the state, next to the Fund), as well as Laurence Hubbard, president of the Montana State Fund.Last year the legislature passed Senate Bill 304 which directed that a panel of lawmakers, state officials and insurance representatives examine ways to change the Fund in large part to keep the legislature from raiding its reserves when balancing budgets.Jones complained that the ...