The Future of the CEC

    Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has appointed Judge Margaret Bomhoff to be the one judge of the Court of Existing Claims effective July 1. Judge Bomhoff's nomination must be confirmed by the State Senate. Because the Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled that claims for injuries before February 1, 2014, must be handled by the former Workers' Compensation Court, now called the Court of Existing Claims, the Legislature extended the Court, but with only one Judge.

   Judge Bomhoff has served as a worker's compensation judge for eight years. She was originally appointed by Governor Mary Fallin and was the first workers' compensation judge in state history whose nomination was confirmed by the State Senate. Before being appointed judge in 2012, Bomhoff was a highly-respected workers' compensation defense lawyer at Fellers Snider in Oklahoma City.

   The second part of the CEC team for the future is Dustin Davison, appointed by Governor Stiff in January as the Administrator of the CEC. For several years, Dustin was an Assistant Administrator under Mike Harkey. Dustin knows the CEC operation from top to bottom.

   I have no doubt that Judge Bomhoff and Dustin will work closely and cooperatively with the Workers' Compensation Commission as we enter a new chapter of workers' compensation in Oklahoma.

--Bob Burke 3/3/2020