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By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER
Star-Tribune energy reporter

Saturday, March 1, 2008 11:20 PM MST

Members of a key legislative committee remained uncommitted to a comprehensive study of the Wyoming workers' compensation program amid intense lobbying by worker advocates.

The Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, Wyoming AFL-CIO and the Equality State Policy Center are pushing for several reforms to increase death and disability benefits. AFL-CIO executive director Kim Floyd said years of industrial lobbying have tilted workers' compensation into an "employer protection" program that systematically discourages workers with long-term injuries from seeking claims at all.

"The division is frivolously contesting cases and just harassing people until they settle," Floyd said.

Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, is co-chairman of the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee. He said he believes the death benefit is probably too low, and it might be worthwhile to look into disability and impairment benefits.

However, Scott doubts there's a need for major reform. He said the workers' compensation program carefully scrutinizes every claim in order to efficiently convert employers' premiums into benefits for those who get injured or killed on the job.

"The attorneys don't like the workers' compensation program. It works so well because we cut the attorneys out," Scott said.

The Legislature's Management Council must approve interim studies for the 10 interim committees before lawmakers adjourn for the year. Both House Speaker Roy Cohee, R-Casper, and Senate President John Schiffer, R-Kaycee, said recently that workers' compensation wasn't on their radar.

"The Management Council stays thoroughly objective with regards to the subjects they want in the interim," Cohee said.

Typically, interim committees are assigned three or four main issues to study. Cohee said something as complex as workers' compensation could be something that is studied for two years, "rather than just discussing it in just two or three meetings."

Workers' compensation is "one of the more important issues" that the joint labor committee will consider for interim study this year, said Jack Landon Jr., R-Sheridan, co-chairman of the committee. But it will compete with several other pressing issues.

Landon said general health care, health care access for lower-income residents, disability and mental services around the state are also high-priority issues.

"We have to decide which one is causing the most problems for people in Wyoming, and which has potential for improving people's lives and the welfare of the state the most. And that's where we need to focus our attention," Landon said.

Energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer can be reached at (307) 577-6069 or dustin.bleizeffer@trib.com.


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Comments to this story.

D Harvey wrote on Mar 2, 2008 7:36 AM:

" Senator Scott is just wrong with that comment about cutting attorneys out. WC was paying for my attorney so he could argue with their attorney when they could have paid the claim for less! The system is broken, fix it. "

flounder wrote on Mar 2, 2008 9:16 AM:

" Two right wingers in the last month have written to this paper in the last month stating that they want the government completely out of the economy. This means they are against worker safety rules, child labor laws, food safety laws, etc. IS it any wonder that the wingers would try to sweep any reform of their one sided workman's comp. laws under the rug? "

Disgusted Wyomingite wrote on Mar 2, 2008 7:34 PM:

" You can bet that the powers that
be will rig the system agains the
little guy. "

BULL wrote on Mar 3, 2008 9:34 AM:

" Wyoming Workers Comp is a corrupt entity that works against employees. Those of us that have had the unfortunate opportunity to deal with Wyoming Workers Comp know full well what the real problem is. Yet some brainwashed naysayers will swear up & down how good and whole Workers Comp is. Maybe they havnt had the same opportunities some of us have had. "

NOBULL wrote on Mar 3, 2008 5:02 PM:

" That's BULL.....BULL.....the people I have known have nothing but good things to say about the help they have gotten from work comp..I knew a guy that was on disability for 4 months for a broken baby finger....as he went hunting and fishing...maybe you just don't want to go back to work BULL.....corupt? prove it.... "

BULL wrote on Mar 4, 2008 6:50 AM:

" Sorry, NOBULL , afraid you stuck your foot in your big mouth on this one. I am retired and have been for years. As for your doubt about how corrupt Wyoming Workers Comp is. The proof is in the pudding smiley. Ask around. All of us that got shafted over the last 40 years by Workers Comp. wont agree with you so quickly. Maybe you aint old enough to know eh. "

Buba wrote on Mar 21, 2008 11:44 PM:

" And we need to rember who to VOTE for "

gramps wrote on Apr 11, 2008 10:18 PM:

" Buba do you mean vote for somewone who has A new vew on life not some free loder who espects to be a free loding blud sucking tick all there life THAT IS A PALATICION "

FED UP wrote on Dec 2, 2008 11:09 AM:

" Why has there not been anything new done or said about this crooked system. They had another meeting Dec. 1 & 2 and who is covering this meeting? I asked my attorney if it was worth going and he said no.... it wouldn't do any good..... The governors office and his cronies are also runing everything that this committee is supposedly trying to do. What does he care-he isn't up for re=election. I feel it is just a smoke screen for this committee also.
My next hearing for 5-6 different things has been postponed from Jan. till March 09. 1 month longer than 3 years that they have been harrassing and denying me after it was proven beyond a doubt (the hearing examiner said) that I had a work injury!!! It is so unbelievable that my claims analyst can arbitrarily hate me without knowing me and deny everything and then have the power over where my hearings are heard. Why is this going on???? I know there are alot of people fighting them because I have a list that We are keeping in touch with. Also, I know that there are people who are fakers (I know of one directly) But, people who don't know what we are going through have NO RIGHT to say that we are free loaders-I have no money coming from anyone, no job, in pain all the time with absolutely no help from the people who are already paid to help- knowing that I have had to pay for 2 different neurosurgeons to tell me the truth about what is happening, what needs to be done and the fact that I will continue to get worse if I don't get surgery. So, you people who don't know-just don't talk or write it down. We -the legitimately injured worker's of Wyoming are going through pure hell with no end in sight- I had 4-5 jobs a week and I was working up to 15 hours a day-does that sound like someone who wants to fake this and live off of the gov????? I don't think so.
I want to get the help I need-get fixed-get back my health and stamina and get back to work. That's all I want!!!!
This gov. entity is the worst and they have power over how our lives are run-that is not right and it is not fair. "

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