Quote of the day
"Twelve police officers are not on the street because of the increases we have had to pay in workers' comp."
Horry County, S.C. Public Safety Director Paul Whitten. South Carolina faces a 32.9 percent premium rate hike
Mold May Force Richmond to Move Hall of Justice
The Richmond City Council will begin negotiating with rental properties but remains undecided about whether health conditions in the moldy 57-year-old Hall of Justice warrant a temporary move. At least 30 department employees have filed workers compensation claims this year, citing exposure to asbestos and mold in the building as the source of various ailments. By Karl Fischer and John Geluardi, Contra Costa Times
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Comp Rates Stunt Growth, Say S.C. Small Business Owners
With a 32.9 percent rate hike looming, small business owners tell state lawmakers this week that rising workers’ compensation rates and inequitable rulings by workers’ comp commissioners are draining the lifeblood from business growth in the state. City and county government are also feeling the squeeze. By Jenny Burns, Myrtle Beach Sun
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Last Frontier to See First Rate Cut Since 1999
In Alaska, where workplace accidents have dropped by 37 percent since 2000, the first overall decrease in workers’ compensation insurance rates since 1999 is probable for next year. The state is reviewing the 2007 rate proposal, which would cut rates by 10.5 percent after rising 80 percent this decade.
Go to the full story by Sarana Schell, Anchorage Daily News
Go to the full story in SitNews (Ketchikan, Alaska)
Vermont Town Officials Buck Workers’ Comp Certificate Requirement
After receiving notice from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the town of Concord was informed that starting this year the league requires a signed, written agreement or a certificate of insurance showing workers’ compensation coverage from all independent contractors who had worked for the town. But two town selectmen apparently have no plans to comply. By Jacob L. Grant, Caledonian-Record (St. Johnsbury, Vt.)
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Regina Man Must Pay Restitution to WCB
A Regina man must repay almost $14,700 he collected from the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board after pleading guilty to holding a full-time job while receiving benefits. Brent Pushkarenko, News Talk 980 (Saskatchewan)
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Kansas System a ‘Colossal Failure’: Report
According to a new report by the New York-based Center for Justice & Democracy and co-released by the Kansas Coalition for Workplace Safety, the state’s workers’ compensation benefits are among the lowest in the nation and the system as a whole is a “colossal failure.” The workers’ comp system in Georgia is no peach, either. By Steve Painter, Wichita Eagle
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Commentary: Is the U.S. Going Dutch?
Although it’s still lower than European levels, the proportion of the U.S. population of working age on permanent disability is rising rapidly. If trends continue, Social Security disability payments will severely exacerbate shortfalls expected as baby boomers retire. By Edward Lotterman, St. Paul Pioneer Press
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Arkansas Court: Injury on Company Retreat Compensable
The Arkansas Court of Appeals reverses a ruling by the state Workers’ Compensation Commission that a 38-year-old woman who was paralyzed after she tried to jump from a bluff into a lake while on a company getaway was not entitled to workers’ compensation. By Daniel Nasaw, Northwest Arkansas News
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