Quote of the day
"There are some gray areas, and those gray areas usually pop up around election time. I was there and I didn't understand it to be an official city function."
Long Beach Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, who opposed a workers' comp payout to Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal, citing doubts that Lowenthal was on city business when she was injured on John Kerry's campaign jet in August 2004
SCIF Management “Arrogant” Says Speier
“Either they have too much money to spend, or they have something to hide,” says Jackie Speier about the management of the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF). Speier lambasted management for hiring a contract lobbyist to kill her good government bill. SB 1452 will, if passed, subject SCIF to the same standards as other state and publicly created entities. She went on to say hiring a lobbyist is deceitful and in violation of the public trust.
Go to the Full Story…
Long Beach Approves Payout to Vice Mayor
The Long Beach City Council approves a $10,500 workers’ compensation claim, plus lifetime medical care for a broken hand and a broken ankle, stemming from Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal’s injuries as she left John Kerry’s campaign jet two years ago. Opponents say she was not on city business at the time of her injury. By David Rogers, Long Beach Press-Telegram
Go to the Full Story…
Ashburn to Host Bakersfield Workers’ Comp Seminar Tomorrow
California State Sen. Roy Ashburn is holding a workshop on the state’s workers’ compensation system tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon at the Holiday Inn Select Convention Center in Bakersfield. Featured speakers are Andrea Hoch, Governor’s Secretary of Legal Affairs, and Carrie Nevans, Acting Administrative Director for the Division of Workers’ Compensation. One Bakersfield Online
Go to the Full Story…
West Virginia Insurance Commission Has Other Remedies in Store
In addition to canceling the coverage of more than 2,000 West Virginia employers who failed to pay their workers’ compensation insurance premiums by August 1, the West Virginia Insurance Commission also may impose fines of up to $10,000, file injunction complaints to cease business operations and go after company owners and officers, according to Commissioner Jane Cline. By Fred Pace, Beckley Register-Herald
Go to the Full Story…
Ohio A.G. Candidate Fesses Up to Erroneous E-Mail
Ohio State Sen. Marc Dann, the Democratic nominee for state attorney general, has spent much of the last 16 months criticizing state Republicans for their oversight of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s $15 billion insurance fund. But he admits he made a mistake in a recent fundraising e-mail in which he accused state Auditor Betty Montgomery, the Republican nominee for attorney general, of supporting and voting for legislation that made it possible for the bureau to invest $50 million in rare coins with indicted businessman Tom Noe. By Steve Eder, Toledo Blade
Go to the Full Story…
RNC Chief in Damage Control Mode, Say Ohio Dems
Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, says Ohioans who want to rid the state of its “culture of corruption,” in the wake of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation investment scandals liked to Republican Gov. Bob Taft and once-prominent GOP fundraiser Tom Noe, should not hold the scandals against Republican candidates this fall at the polls. By Connie Mabin, AP via Akron Beacon Journal
Go to the Full Story…
Publication of Delinquent List Would Give Contractors an Extra Resource, Supporters Say
Supporters of the North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance Agency’s proposal to publish a list of employers that are delinquent on their workers’ compensation insurance premiums say it would allow general building contractors to check whether subcontractors have paid their premiums. The committee also wants to change a state law that reduced benefits to about 100 injured workers when they retired. By AP via Grand Forks Herald
Go to the Full Story…
Louisiana City Rewarded with Dividend for Safety
The city of New Iberia, La., will receive a dividend check for $101,000 from the Louisiana Workers Compensation Corp., as a result of the city’s success in holding down workplace injuries. The money will go into the city’s general fund. By Bobbie J. Clark, Daily Iberian
Go to the Full Story…
Montana City No Longer on Hook for Health Insurance
The city of Havre, Mont. will no longer self-insure its workers: the Montana Municipal Insurance Authority, which also provides the city’s liability, workers’ compensation and property insurance, will now provide health insurance. By Krista Corner, Havre Daily News
Go to the Full Story…
Truckers’ Audio Conference to Cover Workers’ Comp Trends
The Truckload Carriers Association will host an audio conference starting at 9 a.m. Pacific Time next Thursday, August 17, entitled “Workers’ Compensation Trends: Managing the Far Flung Driver Workforce.” Experts will discuss the latest issues that confront carriers and provide practical ideas to help fleets exert control over the process. Trucking Info
Go to the Full Story…