Sean Murphy

• Oklahoma workers’ comp overhaul hailed

  By Sean Murphy  |  February 25, 2013

  A plan to phase out Oklahoma’s Workers’ Compensation Court and switch to an administrative system has been endorsed by all of the state’s major political players and is being hailed by state business leaders as a way to drive down insurance costs.

• Judge rules Oklahoma can end Planned Parenthood deals

  By Sean Murphy  |  December 26, 2012

  A federal judge on Monday denied a request by Planned Parenthood to temporarily block Oklahoma from terminating a contract with the agency to provide nutritional services to low-income mothers.

• Oklahoma senator criticizes agency’s ‘police posture’

  By Sean Murphy  |  December 4, 2012

  A state senator voiced concern Monday about the Oklahoma Insurance Department's recent purchase of police vehicles, shotguns and other law enforcement equipment, and said he plans to introduce a bill to stop what he described as the agency's "police-like posture."

• Constituencies bend Oklahoma governor’s ear on health care

  By Sean Murphy  |  November 12, 2012

  Looming decisions for Gov. Mary Fallin on how Oklahoma will respond to the sweeping federal health care law are prompting an energetic, behind-the-scenes lobbying effort by hospitals, insurance companies, business and industry groups, and other constituencies that will be affected by provisions of the law.

• GOP presses contraception suit

  By Grant Schulte, Sean Murphy  |  July 13, 2012

  Seven states trying to block part of the federal health care law that requires contraception coverage will continue with their lawsuit despite last month's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld most of the law, according to Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, who is leading the case.

• Lawmaker to push further changes to Okla. pensions

  By Sean Murphy  |  January 10, 2012

  The state's largest and most poorly underfunded system was put on a path to be 100-percent funded in 22 years. A new series of bills helped drop unfunded liabilities by more than $5.5 billion.

• Okla. pharmacists protest change to benefit plan

  By Sean Murphy  |  December 1, 2011

  Dozens of pharmacists and pharmacy students packed into a legislative hearing Wednesday to voice concerns over a cost-saving proposal to change the prescription drug benefit plan for thousands of state and education employees in Oklahoma.

• Judge blocks Oklahoma abortion law

  By Sean Murphy  |  October 19, 2011

  An Oklahoma judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked from taking effect a new law designed to reduce the number of abortions performed in the state by restricting the ways in which doctors can treat women with abortion-inducing drugs.

• Chairman: Okla. tax credits should face scrutiny

  By Sean Murphy  |  September 8, 2011

  Oklahoma doles out hundreds of millions of dollars each year to companies in the form of tax credits and other incentives with little oversight or transparency, and there's no way of knowing exactly how much it's costing the state, a lawmaker complained Wednesday during a task force meeting.

• Oklahoma wants pension COLAs to be funded

  By Sean Murphy  |  May 4, 2011

  A legislative plan to shore up Oklahoma's underfunded pension systems by requiring any cost-of-living increases to be funded by the Legislature received final approval on Tuesday and is heading to the governor's desk.