Today marks the first day of new Oklahoma laws
BY MICHAEL MCNUTT
Comments 
32
Published: November 1, 2009
Modified: November 2, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Modified: November 2, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Most elements of a comprehensive lawsuit reform measure, agreed to in the last days of this year's legislative session after more than two years of bickering, are now law.
NewsOK Related Articles
It's one of nearly 200 state laws that will take effect today.
Missing from the list is a measure that bans abortions based on the child's sex. An Oklahoma County judge has issued a temporary restraining order that prevents the law, House Bill 1595, from taking effect.
Other measures open up the process of adoption, strengthen the state's Insure Oklahoma plan and allow a Ten Commandments monument to be placed on the state Capitol grounds.
Lawsuit reform
Rep. Dan Sullivan said HB 1603 is a comprehensive lawsuit reform measure that will improve the legal process without impeding court access. It deals with how lawsuits are treated in court cases ranging from personal injury to medical malpractice. The measure is intended to help curb frivolous lawsuits and reduce costs associated with the justice system, among other things, said Sullivan, R-Tulsa. Civil cases involving professional negligence will have to have a certificate of merit, in which an expert will state the case has merit, he said.
Several changes are made to how class-action lawsuits are handled, including a limit on allowing nonresidents to be included in a class-action suit. Also, when a settlement is coupons, the attorney shall receive the fee in coupons.
Another part of the bill won't take effect until 2011. It sets a noneconomic cap of $400,000 for all negligence cases, but the cap may be lifted if a judge or jury determines there's a permanent physical injury, some kind of catastrophic injury or gross negligence or recklessness.
Abortion law
HB 1595 also would require women seeking abortions to disclose information that would be put on a state-run Web site. The information includes previous pregnancies, previous marriages, how the abortion was paid for and the reason for the abortion. Names would not be used.
That part of the bill wasn't to take effect until 2011. Whether and when the rest of the bill, the ban on abortions based on the gender of a fetus, will take effect won't be known until a temporary restraining order's decision is reached.
Adoptions
HB 2174 requires public reporting of adoption expenses so judges and the public can see actual costs attorneys charge.
It also requires that only one prospective adoptive family at a time be billed for a birth mother's expenses and that all adoptions must be conducted in one of four locations — the home county of the birth mother; the home county of the adoptive parents; or in Oklahoma or Tulsa counties.
HB 2174 is intended to stop attorneys from shopping for judges who don't ask too many questions about the fees attorneys charge for adoptions and to prevent attorneys from having families bid against each other to adopt a child, said Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City the author of the measure.
A 2006 multicounty grand jury found some adoptive parents have been forced to pay for vehicles, televisions and other items masked as adoption costs.
Insure Oklahoma
HB 2026 gives the Insure Oklahoma program a boost by helping increase enrollment in the program when people get health care services. It also allows greater flexibility in options for standard health benefit plans and creates a core benefits package for young, healthy Oklahomans to buy cheaper insurance policies.
Ten CommandmentsThe measure, HB 1303, provides for a Ten Commandments memorial at no cost to the state to be placed on the Capitol grounds.
Proposed sites will be presented next month to the State Capitol Preservation Commission. The author of the bill, Rep. Mike Ritze, has said his family will pay for the design and construction of the 6-foot monolith, as well as maintenance costs.
He estimated the cost of the monument to be roughly $10,000.
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
We spend way too much on the other religions in schools and other tax paid places
And to Outlaw; Please check out the history of "Blue Laws" which were set up tp have sunday closing instead of the 7th Day Sabbath. And adultery was illegal until recently.It still is grounds for divorce.
As for Jesus and Paul, there is NO difference in the Gospel they both taught. Jesus came for the list sheep of Israel and Paul came for the dogs under the table that want a crumb so to speak.
Without Commandments there was nothing wrong with Cain killing able and God was totally wrong for flooding the earth to destroy wickedness and evil.Also why was the homosex lifestyle that He rained sulphur and brimestone on wrong without commandments.
I have not counted them but was told the 10 Commandments were to be kept some 42 or more places in the New Testament.
One of the most obvious was Matthew 5:17-19. One that slips by many people is Matthew 28:19-20.
Most of Paul's letter to the Gentile converts said to keep the commands.
Every place you find the words sin or wickedness or unrighteousness, simply substitute the words 10 Commandments.
They are FOREVER!!! Hebrews 8:10. Obviously that day has not come yet because vs. 11 then says "They shall not teach every man his neighbor...for all shall know me.
John was even more explicit than Jesus or Paul with 1John2:3-4 then 3:4-12. Hey! How about that? Cain himself is mentioned. Then 3:22-24.
And last, but not least, Rev.12:17,14:12 and 22:14.
These that teach the Commandments were done away with will be called "least" in the kingdom of heaven. Again Matthew 5:19.
Now don't you wish to reconsider what you wrote?
As to the Code of Hammurabi, which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I'll spare you the lecture on the parallels and symbolism of Jewish laws and Jesus's metaphor of destroying the temple (which was the house and symbol of Jewish law) and rebuilding it in 3 days.
The generic use of commandments in Genius is just that, generic. The 10 commandments were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the 10 in which these are referred to. Plus, the 10 commandments were part of the Code of Hammurabi, and the code also made up most all of Leviticus also known as the Mosaic Laws. The code was Mesopotamian law and Abrama came from UR, the moon worshipers in Mesopotamia.
Jesus, the son of god, gave the 2 Great Commandment on which to hang all the laws. Therefore, Paul's referral's to the commandments were most likely either Christ's commandments, or part/all 613 Mosaic laws (which were actually Mesopotamian law) which included the 10 but regardless were negated by Jesus when have gave the 2 Great Commandments. Therefore, you are in part correct, the 10 commandments are not from Jewish origin.
But please, show me where Jesus, you know the son of god and founder of Christianity, teaches to obey any other commandments except for the 2 great commandments. P.S. You won't find it because JESUS NEVER SAID TO FOLLOW THE 10 COMMANDMENTS!!!!!!!
--
like that of what we expect of the foriegner who come to our country..
If we would have kept it like it was intended we whould not have imagration problems and illigals.
If we would have kept the laws of what we believe ,,it would not be questioned..(monument on capital ground)
but along with everything that makes us great.. God is being ousteded by the once rules that MADE US is now breaking and bringing pain and suffering to everyone.
thanks to poilitians and lawyers greed to make a buck.
It will be removed because of the poiltal spin and the lawyers case.
The 10 Commandments are (paraphrased)...
1. No other gods before me -- Not a law.
2. Graven images -- Not a law.
3. Not take lords name in vain -- Not a law.
4. Holy sabbath day -- Not a law.
5. Honor your parents -- Not a law.
6. Shall not murder -- THIS IS A LAW!!!
7. Shall not commit adultery -- Grounds for divorce, but not a law.
8. Shall not steal -- THIS IS A LAW!!!
9. Bear false witness -- Is illegal in certain limited situations
10. Covent your neighbor -- Not a law.
So out of 10 Commandments our legal system makes two, maybe three, of them illegal. So how are the 10 Commandments part of our law again Chris?
The problem is that it is illegal for the government to endorse one religion over another. Placing the 10 Commandments on the capitol grounds is an endorsement of Judeo/Christian beliefs and therefore is illegal. There are plenty of private places (churches anyone?) that are more than acceptable locations for a 10 Commandments monument and no one will complain.
I wonder if you would be as accepting of a monument to to Allah and Islam on the capitol grounds? I think most Oklahoman's would not.
Stay on subject Chris, put the 10 commandments in your yard and sleep by them.
Actually what "got us here today" was religious tolerance and the separation of church and state issues. If you don't believe in that then YOU need to get the hell out of my country because you are unAmerican. The government of the United States represents all people and gives them the freedom to worship as they please. The government does not endorse any religion over another, that's why the 10 Commandments monument will not last.
Regardless, it is clearly a violation of church and state and will not be tolerated by the courts. Oklahoma will spend a ton of money it does not have fighting the case and in the end it will prove/provide nothing.
Abraham was long before there were any Jews.
Many places Paul told the Gentiles to keep the Commandments.
Let's spend another million defending the ten commandments on state property so people like Chris can be reminded of what they're suppose to do because they can't remember from day to day.
What a joke.
--
Props to Rep. Jason Nelson, pretty good for a freshmen.
Rep. Ritze, go ahead and have them installed in your front yard because that is where they are going to end up anyway.
Rep. Sullivan, please keep us updated on the lower malpractice insurance fees for doctors.
We have so many laws, no one....NO ONE....knows what they all are.