Critics question the fairness of Oklahoma liability insurance bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would require those holding a special event license to carry liability insurance, despite concerns over fairness.

Senate Bill 2178 would require the licensee to carry general liability insurance, including liquor liability coverage, of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million total.

A special event license allows the holder to sell and distribute alcohol for on-premises consumption at up to four events in a year.

The measure would require licensed employees serving alcohol at a special event to ensure the event has been properly licensed.

Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, the author, said that a couple of years ago, someone left a wedding event, an accident happened and lives were lost.

Last session, lawmakers unsuccessfully attempted to implement required training for individuals involved in special events, Howard said.

Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, said the insurance measure could penalize businesses for individuals' private choices of "what to consume, not to consume and what they do after that."

"That isn't the role of government," Jett said. "It isn't appropriate for us to force companies, small companies, wedding venues, anyone who's serving alcohol, to have to absorb that cost."

He said it is inappropriate for lawmakers to penalize businesses when individuals make bad decisions about what to ingest.

Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, questioned whether it was appropriate to impose a one-size-fits-all mandate that could effectively shut out small businesses and nonprofits from participating.

"What we're trying to do here is to at least offer some compensation for those innocents that are truly harmed on it by those ones that have violated their duties," Howard said.

He said he carries liability protections for his law business and it costs about $2,200 for $2 million in protection.

"It is a cost of doing business," Howard said. He said lawmakers need to make sure that people who are harmed have a right to coverage and not just be told "sorry for your loss."

He called the legislation "responsible."

The measure passed by a vote of 32-12 and heads to the House for consideration.