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Governor urges framework for Oklahoma business courts; lawmakers say task force and study first, no immediate funding
Summary
The governor proposed creating a business‑court framework, recommending a task force and study (potential pilots in Oklahoma City and Tulsa) with no immediate appropriation; legislative leaders asked for details and suggested assigning a leader to coordinate work across chambers.
In a leadership meeting over the state budget, Oklahoma’s governor proposed establishing a framework to study and eventually create business courts modeled on Delaware and Texas, describing the step as primarily a signaling tool to corporate counsel and potential headquarters considering the state.
The governor emphasized this would start as a framework and a task force, not a funded program this year: “It’s just setting up the framework … to put a task force together,” he said. He suggested potential pilot sites in Oklahoma City and Tulsa and said the courts would be aimed at business‑to‑business disputes rather than general slip‑and‑fall or criminal cases.
Lawmakers asked what a win would look like this year; the speaker proposed assigning Leader McChortney to 'bird dog' the effort and coordinate across chambers. The governor named Trevor Pemberton, his general counsel, as a contact who has researched the issue.
Leaders agreed the concept merited study but asked for written language and for staff to coordinate the scope, appointments and any eventual funding needs before advancing the idea in future sessions. No appropriation was requested or committed during the meeting.
