Rick Perry has been a strong advocate for civil justice reform throughout his years as Governor. He provided leadership on the sweeping tort reforms of 2003 (HB 4, the Omnibus Tort Reform Bill), the 2005 reform to eliminate the outrageous abuses in asbestos and silica litigation (SB 15) and, this year, the reform of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (HB 3) and the Omnibus Tort Reform Bill (HB 274), which includes mechanisms to discourage meritless lawsuits and to encourage early and fair settlements in litigation. In addition, the Governor has judiciously but assertively used his veto power to prevent harmful legislation from becoming law.

This is a personal note. Dick Weekley and I have been close friends for 43 years. I would have helped with TLR out of friendship and loyalty – for a short while.   That “short while” is now 15 years. I have given some time and a little money. But the truth is that I have gotten far more than I have given.   Early on – as a figure of speech – I remarked to Dick that I did not want to end up like the old guy on the front porch yelling at cars to slow down. Without missing a beat, Dick said that he would never do that. He would call so-and-so and so-and-so and have a speed bump put in. Then he launched into a discussion of the futility of expending “negative” energy.

The just-completed 81st Legislative Session is the eighth Session in which TLR has engaged. In some ways, it was our hardest because the trial lawyers, perceiving an opportunity due to changed circumstances in the Legislature, made a broad attack against lawsuit reforms and sound decisions by Texas’ conservative courts. Though we know the trial lawyer attack will continue, we are pleased they were completely unsuccessful in passing legislation this past Session.

When TLR began the battle for lawsuit reform in 1994, our goal was to create an honest, balanced and predictable civil justice system. Our supporters around the state, from small business owners to professionals to corporate leaders, painfully recognized that lawsuit abuse was a huge drag on our economy, costing Texas dearly in many ways, including slower business expansion and fewer jobs.