Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR), the Texas Trucking Association (TXTA) and the Texas Food and Fuel Association (TFFA)—co-founders of the Lone Star Economic Alliance (LSEA)—released the following statement today on Senate Bills (SB) 30 and 39:
“Every day, unfair litigation practices are threatening the viability of Texas businesses, forcing job creators to raise prices, lay off employees or close their doors altogether.
“The meaningful reforms included in SB 30 and SB 39 would have been an essential step toward curbing the meritless lawsuits plaguing Texas businesses of all sizes, across all sectors, by preventing unjustified damage awards, and restoring fairness and transparency to the courtroom.
“Through LSEA, more than 1,200 businesses, associations and individuals from every corner of Texas stood in strong support of SB 30 and SB 39.
“We are grateful for the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Sen. Brian Birdwell, Sen. Charles Schwertner, Rep. Greg Bonnen and Rep. Jeff Leach, who championed efforts to protect Texas employers from rampant abuse of our legal system and worked tirelessly to protect Texans from skyrocketing costs due to these abusive lawsuits.
“Although these bills did not pass this session, the reforms included in SB 30 and SB 39 remain vital for Texas job creators and for the Texas families they serve. The costs of inaction on lawsuit reform are massive.
“We are encouraged by the broad support for curbing out-of-control lawsuits, which was evident by SB 30 passing out of both chambers of the legislature, however, disagreement on final language in the conference committee kept the bill from making it over the finish line. We urge the Texas Legislature to prioritize this issue in the 90th Texas Legislative Session, and to put an end to the blatant fraud on the legal system which jeopardizes Texas’s longstanding reputation as the best place in the nation to do business and create jobs.”
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TLR’s mission is to foster freedom, innovation and job creation by advocating for a fair, efficient and predictable civil justice system staffed by competent and independent judges who apply the constitution and laws as written. Visit https://www.tortreform.com.
Since 1932, TXTA has served as the unified voice for the trucking industry in Texas. TXTA is dedicated to advocating sound public policies, providing excellence in education, research, training and information as well as promoting a safe, dependable and efficient motor transportation system.
The Texas Food & Fuel Association represents the retail and wholesale sectors of the oil and gas industry in Texas. Based in Austin, the association works to build consensus among industry professionals, local municipalities, state and federal governing agencies, elected officials, and others who have a vested interest in the petroleum marketing and convenience retail industries.