Louisiana can teach Mississippi some lessons on how to handle tort reform. The Times-Picayune reported:
Five legislative leaders met with Gov. Jeff Landry and two prominent trial attorneys in Texas last week to hunt turkey and talk legislative business — including whether lawmakers will keep trying to make it harder for lawyers to collect big payouts for clients injured in car accidents. Gordon McKernan, one of the two attorneys, flew House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, Senate President Cameron Henry and three committee chairpersons on his law firm’s jet on Monday to the Tributary Sporting Club near Austin. Landry met them there. They all returned Wednesday. Landry issued the invitations, and Protect Louisiana Values, one of his political organizations, paid for their stay at the hunting resort, lawmakers said. The trip came at a time when business-oriented Republican legislators have been expressing concern privately that Landry will again favor trial attorneys on major legislation during the upcoming legislative session. Last year, Landry vetoed one bill involving a legal doctrine known as “collateral source” that would have limited potential payouts for trial lawyers. He also insisted that legislators limit several other measures opposed by trial lawyers before agreeing to support them. At the time, he said he rejected the collateral source bill to ensure that working people and consumers would receive what they deserve in medical costs following an accident caused by others. When this year’s session begins later this month, the trial attorneys and lobbyists for business interests will resume their long-time political fight. With that in mind, Henry said the outing to Texas was an attempt to see if legislators could find common ground with the trial lawyers on ways to protect the rights of people injured in accidents while eliminating frivolous lawsuits.(KF: Is that what you call it?) Lawmakers said they went hunting one morning in Texas but otherwise devoted their time to discussing how to address high auto insurance rates and the path forward on the state budget after voters a week ago rejected overhauling the tax section of the state constitution. “It was not like we just went out there and had a good time,” said McFarland, R-Jonesboro. “We spent hours in meetings on Monday afternoon, Tuesday and again Wednesday.”... Article
10 comments:
In Mississippi, we just elected the biggest GOP lobbyist in D.C. to be a two-term governor.
He jammed two rounds of "tort reform" through halfway through his first term in 2002.
Talkin' turkey Louisiana style in Texas. Appropriate. What would Tater do? Gig for frogs in Louisiana with the good ole boys? He's a toadie himself you know.
Damn @12:11 - oughta get your facts straight before you put fingers to the keyboard.
Ronnie Musgrove, who was Governor in 2002 (and also in 2023 when the first tort reform legislation was passed) was - and is - a trial lawyer, but he was never the biggest GOP lobbyist in DC
If my memory serves me correct, Ronnie Musgrove was governor during the never-ending special session of '02. Went from Memorial Day to Labor Day, correct?
Then again, maybe not...
https://www.nola.com/news/environment/louisiana-oil-coast-pollution-chevron-energy/article_64b25fb0-c907-45fa-ac57-44cd25aa3d56.html#tncms-source=business-headlines
Tort reform doesn’t have jack to do with frivolous lawsuits. It caps exposure on the non frivolous cases. ‘Frivolous lawsuits’ is just a buzzword. In Mississippi the Supreme Court disposes of frivolous lawsuits—not the tort reform caps.
In my estimation, Haley Barbour, who has a speech impediment such that he speaks as if a peach pit were in his mouth, is as anti MS as a former guv can get, he pushed:
1. The bio fuels debacle in lower MS
2. The reckless gambling in downtown Jackson scam that died in the legislature.
When will Barbour joint venture with Mexican Cartels?
2:05: OK, the first round of tort reform was passed under Musgrove. The second round was passed under Boss Hogg Barbour. My mistake.
-12:17
They went to Texas to hunt legislative business and talk turkey, not the opposite.
Confused with which of Barbour's lower MS debacles you are refering to.
Was it KIOR or Kemper Clean Coal?
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