Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee an attorney, has filed Senate Bill 997 to make dues voluntary to the Oklahoma Bar Association instead of mandatory.Coffee said the Bar Association has lobbied on issues ranging from abortion to lawsuit reform and workers compensation judges.
"A lot of times, while there are legal aspects, there are also public policy issues that their members may or may not agree with them on," said Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.The Oklahoma Bar Association was created by the Supreme Court. It has about 11,000 active attorneys in Oklahoma, according to its Web site.
Formed in 1904, the Bar Association is not a state agency. Its activities are funded through dues and other revenue.
It investigates complaints and makes recommendations for disciplinary action to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Jon K. Parsley, Bar Association president and a Guymon attorney, said the OBA is opposed to the bill but is willing to work with the Legislature to find an appropriate solution.
"In the past, the Oklahoma Bar Association has taken a position on tort reform," Parsley said. "That is an issue that directly affects the rights of the citizens of Oklahoma."
Coffee said he would like the OBA to come up with an alternative proposal.
1 comment:
Actually for non-liberals who can do cognitive thinking...the lawyers as officers of the court should not be able to be legislators or judges. It is the fox guarding the henhouse the founders warned us about letting legal eagles get in charge.
Damn the founders would be ashamed cause the Pres, VP and most of the cabinet are trial lawyers along with the media hype talking heads types.
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