Friends,
The Republican Party of Texas state convention kicks off Thursday at the George R. Brown Convention Center. TLR is once again a major sponsor of the convention, including hosting Saturday’s Rooted in Faith Prayer Breakfast with Pastor John Hagee as our guest of honor. I’ve attended state conventions before, going back to the early 2000’s as a young party operative in Harris County, a precinct chair, and growing through the years as an eventual candidate and office holder. This convention will be a bit different and not just for me.
Likely for the first time, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA) is sponsoring the Texas GOP Convention. What makes this stand out is that TTLA and their membership of personal injury trial lawyers are major funders of Democratic candidates. A confidential briefing for Democrat success this November recently leaked and TTLA is singled out as a primary ally in their plan. This “sponsorship” is infiltration by TTLA – not support.
More than 30 years ago, Texas was dubbed the litigation capital of the world, and 60 Minutes published its exposé “Justice for Sale,” criticizing Texas injury lawyers. Texas Republicans were fed up with cronyism and unfair courts. Weary of TTLA’s stranglehold on the Texas Legislature and Texas Supreme Court, the GOP, with TLR’s help, made tort reform a top priority–and Texas’s economy flourished.
Today, the party that once rebuked ambulance chasers is now opening its doors and accepting checks freely from the billboard lawyer lobby. It’s an important shift because party conventions aren’t just about the politicians who carry the partisan flag. Conventions are also the starting place for many policy priorities for lawmakers—tort reform was named a priority by the 1994 Texas GOP Platform Committee. The following year, the Texas legislature passed its first omnibus tort reform legislation. Two years ago, the Platform Committee maintained its opposition to frivolous lawsuits under the Courts, Prosecutions, Restitution section.
Now, as Texas becomes the Financial Capital of America, billboard lawyers and TTLA are planning to work with National Democratic strategists to flip 15 House seats this fall. Why would Republican party delegates allow trial lawyers to gain a foothold within the party while they are actively working to dismantle the Republican majority in the Texas House? Policy insiders will be watching the convention closely this week to see who is leading the charge: liberal lawyers or the grassroots.
For the future of Texas,
Ryan Patrick
CEO | TLR
Another major insurance company announced this week nearly $1 BILLION IN RETURNS as USAA passes savings from Florida’s 2023 tort reform measures to the customers it serves. The San Antonio-based insurer made the announcement on CNBC this week, the latest carrier to highlight the benefits of tort reform legislation on reducing costs and improving affordability in Florida. USAA’s president wasn’t shy about pointing out how the company’s home state could make improvements.
USAA isn’t alone in making this announcement. The Florida Insurance Commissioner previously hailed the tort reform package as the leading driver of cost savings for Florida auto insurance customers. More than 40 Florida auto insurers have filed for at least one rate cut since January 2025, including Allstate, GEICO, Progressive, and State Farm. Why is that? Thanks to tort reform measures passed in 2023, Florida drivers are now benefiting from the most stable and affordable car insurance rates seen in 15 years.
“The bottom line is Florida is a very competitive auto market,” Mark Friedlander with the Insurance Information Institute said. “Companies are looking to grow market share, and it’s worth taking the time because there could be significant differences in the cost of coverage.”
The Texas Economic Miracle continues to grow, as a new report this week names Texas the top home for Fortune 500 companies. The Houston metro area has a slight edge over Dallas-Fort Worth, with 27 and 24 Fortune 500 companies, respectively; Austin is home to three (Tesla, Dell, and Oracle), San Antonio is home to two (Valero Energy and USAA) and Midland with one (Diamondback).
As more high-performing companies make their home in Texas, that means more high-paying jobs, fast-growth industries, and a home for new innovators. The Lone Star State is known for its low-tax, low-regulation environment that allows companies room to grow. Despite leading in tort reform, company leaders continue to point to the growing problem of lawsuit abuse as one factor that could reverse the positive gains Texas has made over the past two decades.
Click here to read the full article to about Texas adding more horsepower to its economic engine.
New Jersey is the latest state to take on new transparency policies around lawsuit financing agreements. A bill making its way through the New Jersey Assembly would require disclosure of the agreements and allow additional discovery (evidence) of details of the agreements between law firms and private equity providers. Lawmakers in California, New York, and Tennessee have proposed similar guardrails, while Michigan and Missouri are both considering specific bans on foreign lawsuit funding. This week, delegates at the RPT Convention will consider a policy proposal to ban foreign lawsuit funding in Texas.
