(Austin, TX)  Texans for Lawsuit Reform applauds the final passage of the TWIA Reform Bill in the Texas House and the Texas Senate.  TLR President Richard J. Trabulsi, Jr., said: 
“This TWIA reform bill, which was shepherded brilliantly by Chairman John Smithee (R-Amarillo) in the House and Chairman John Carona (R-Dallas) in the Senate, is important legislation that moves the Texas Windstorm Association toward solvency, improves its transparency, oversight and governance, and provides important consumer protections for TWIA policyholders.  

(Austin, TX) Texans for Lawsuit Reform issued the following statement today in response to the release of a report by Texas Watch entitled, “Thumbs on the Scale: A Retrospective of the Texas Supreme Court.”
In considering the deeply flawed findings of this “report,” Texans need to have the facts about Texas Watch, the group that authored this report. Texas Watch is a pro-trial lawyer group that has worked for over a decade to overthrow tort reforms and increase opportunities to sue. 

(Austin, TX) Texans for Lawsuit reform today denounced a proposed platform resolution circulated to Republican county convention delegates over the weekend that would be a boon for Texas’s trial lawyers and a disaster for Texas’s job creators. 

Texans for Lawsuit Reform President, Richard J. Trabulsi, Jr., issued the following statement today on the passing of State Rep. Ken Legler:
“The leadership and staff of Texans for Lawsuit Reform are shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of our friend and ally, State Rep. Ken Legler.  Ken was a hard-working legislator who was devoted to the people in his district.  He will be missed.  Our prayers are with his wife and family.”  

(Austin, TX) Texans for Lawsuit Reform is singularly focused on civil justice issues, but our leaders work on a broad range of public policy issues. The visionary thinking and innovative approach of TLR’s Senior Chairman, Leo Linbeck, Jr., is revealed in this recent interview by nationally syndicated columnist Scott Burns.

(Austin, TX)  On this President’s Day, Texans for Lawsuit Reform again honors the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, for his strong stand against frivolous lawsuits and his expressed belief that such suits waste time and money and are rooted in greed.  Always counted among our greatest and most visionary presidents, Lincoln saw more than a hundred-fifty years ago that lawsuit abuse was detrimental, not only to the legal profession, but to society as a whole.

There are a number of problems with HB 912.  These are just a few:
It is expansive. It imposes criminal and civil liability for the “capturing” (a term undefined in the bill) of “sound waves, thermal, infrared, ultraviolet, visible light, or other electromagnetic waves, odor, or other conditions existing on or about real property or an individual located on that property.”  It covers not only “an unmanned vehicle” (it does not say “unmanned flying vehicle”), but also “aircraft” (it does not say “unmanned aircraft”). 

(Houston, TX)  Texans for Lawsuit Reform Chairman and CEO, Richard W. Weekley issued the following statement on the passing of Bob Perry:
“We are shocked and saddened at the loss of our dear and good friend Bob Perry.  Bob was truly a Texas giant whose legendary compassion, vision and commitment to principle has changed the face of Texas and improved the lives of thousands of people.

TLR just completed its tenth legislative session of advocacy for lawsuit reform. In each and every session, TLR has helped pass meaningful civil justice reforms; we have also worked with legislators in both parties to draft provisions in bills that would either benefit, or not harm, the fairness and balance of the Texas civil justice system.

TLR issued the following statement today following the announcement by Governor Rick Perry that he will not seek re-election.  TLR President, Richard J. Trabulsi, Jr., said:
“Governor Rick Perry has been the most effective tort reformer in our nation’s history.”

(Houston, TX) Texans for Lawsuit Reform issued the following statement on the announcement of retirement by Texas Supreme Court Justice Wallace Jefferson. TLR President Richard J. Trabulsi, Jr., said:
“Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson is a nationally respected jurist whose incisive legal thinking and commitment to conservative principles of law have helped make the Texas Supreme Court one of the most respected appellate courts in the nation.”

(Houston, TX) Texans for Lawsuit Reform applauded Gov. Rick Perry’s appointment of Justice Nathan Hecht as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas today. Hugh Rice Kelly, TLR General Counsel said:
“Governor Perry’s appointment of Nathan Hecht to the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas means that our Court will be led by one of the nation’s most outstanding appellate judges.  Justice Hecht has been recognized both in Texas and nationally.”

Texans for Lawsuit Reform applauded Gov. Rick Perry’s appointment of Justice Jeff Brown to the Supreme Court of Texas.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform Chairman and CEO, Richard W. Weekley issued the following statement on the passing of Harold Simmons on Sunday:
“We are saddened at the loss of our longtime friend and ally Harold Simmons. Harold joined the battle for lawsuit reform in Texas almost twenty years ago and has been steadfast and courageous in his commitment to making Texas a better and more prosperous state by assuring that our courts are fair and honest….

Polling over the last two decades has consistently shown that a majority of Texans in both political parties support the landmark lawsuit reforms that have brought balance to Texas courts and improved public trust in our civil justice system.  A new statewide poll of Republican primary voters conducted by Baselice and Associates, Inc. for TLR last week found that, despite persistent attempts by liberal personal injury trial lawyers to infiltrate Republican and conservative groups, support for tort reform remains high among likely Republican voters.

(San Antonio, TX) Texans for Lawsuit Reform honored legendary business and civic leader Red McCombs in San Antonio today, calling the longtime TLR supporter a “pioneer in the battle for lawsuit reform.”

(Houston, TX)  On this President’s Day, Texans for Lawsuit Reform again honors the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, for his strong stand against lawsuit abuse and his expressed belief that meritless lawsuits waste time and money and are rooted in greed.  Always counted among our greatest and most visionary presidents, Lincoln saw more than a hundred-fifty years ago that lawsuit abuse was detrimental, not only to the legal profession, but to society as a whole.

(Austin, TX)  Texans for Lawsuit Reform issued the following statement today regarding the trial lawyer group, Texas Watch.
“Texas Watch is not a public interest consumer watchdog, they are a trial lawyer front group that is fighting lawsuit reforms that will help protect homeowners’ access to affordable insurance policies in Texas,” said TLR spokesperson, Sherry Sylvester.