Latest news with #SenateBill68
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate Bill 68 requires schools to regulate student phone use
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Cell phones at school are the focus of a bill passed in Jefferson City this week. Carthage settles lawsuit with former city administrator Choosing the right storm shelter Volunteers revive history in Carthage for Great Americans Day Asbury shutting off water temporarily for repair work Six months in, Joplin police see success with Co-Responder program Senate Bill 68 has been passed by both the State House and Senate and has been sent to the Governor's desk for approval. Senate Bill 68 requires school districts to adopt a policy about students' use of cell phones while on campus. Many districts, like Joplin, already have one in place, but this would make it statewide. East Middle School principal, Jason Cravens says his students aren't allowed to use phones in school—which minimizes distractions and cuts down on their looking up answers online. 'That's not helpful in an educational environment where we want them to do their own work. And then also you have social connections, and we want kids interacting face to face and learning good social skills in person,' said Cravens. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signs tort reform bills into law. What does that mean? We explain
On Monday, Governor Brian Kemp signed into law Senate Bill 68 and 69, marking the culmination of a 20-year legislative effort. The bills comprise a comprehensive tort reform package, lauded by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, as a generational step protecting families, businesses, and the state's economy. "Today is a victory for the people of our state who for too long were suffering the impacts of an out-of-balance legal environment," said Governor Brian Kemp in a press release. "While there was great passion on all sides of this issue, I am grateful for the diligent work of Commissioner John King and his office in studying this issue, the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and Speaker Jon Burns, the unrelenting work of Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy and House Majority Whip James Burchett, as well as Chairmen Brian Strickland and Rob Leverett for leading a thorough review, and the thoughtful deliberation of our legislative partners in the General Assembly. "As a result of this collective effort and outpouring of support from Georgians of all backgrounds, Georgia continues to move in the right direction as we work to stabilize costs and compete for economic opportunities that will create good paying jobs for hardworking Georgians across our state." What is tort reform? Tort reform is a set of changes to the civil justice system that limit the ability of people to file lawsuits and the amount of compensation they can receive, according to Wikipedia. Supporters of tort reform argue that this will lead to fairer outcomes, while critics worry it could unfairly penalize victims. Here is a breakdown of the specific policy areas addressed by the legislation, according to the press release: Reevaluates the standard for negligent security liability ('premises liability') Truthful calculation of medical damages in personal injury cases ('phantom damages') Eliminates the ability to arbitrarily anchor pain and suffering damages to a jury ('anchoring') Bifurcated trials Allow a jury to know whether the plaintiff wore their seatbelt ('admissible seatbelt evidence') Eliminate double recovery of attorney's fees Eliminate plaintiff dismissal during trial Motion to dismiss timing changes Reforming and bringing transparency to third party litigation funding How does tort reform affect people? Tort reform basically gives new requirements for filing a lawsuit. It also limits the amount of recovery someone can get from a lawsuit, according to For more details about tort reform, visit Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@ This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: What is tort reform? Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signs it into law
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Kemp Signs Tort Reform In Georgia, As Similar Proposal Passes In Texas
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp shakes hands with Texas Governor Greg Abbott prior to the college ... More football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns on October 19, 2024, at Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) has spent the first weeks of spring taking multiple victory laps following a legislative session that concluded with the enactment of top policy priorities. On April 21, for example, one week after approving legislation to accelerate state income tax cuts, Kemp signed into law Senate Bill 68 and Senate Bill 69, legislation that the Georgia Chamber of Commerce touts as 'a meaningful, comprehensive tort reform package.' 'Today is a victory for the people of our state who for too long were suffering the impacts of an out-of-balance legal environment,' Governor Brian Kemp said in his signing statement. 'As a result of this collective effort and outpouring of support from Georgians of all backgrounds, Georgia continues to move in the right direction as we work to stabilize costs and compete for economic opportunities that will create good paying jobs for hardworking Georgians across our state.' The signing statement from Governor Kemp's office goes on to note that approval of SB 68 and SB 69 'levels the playing field in our courtrooms, bans hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings, aims to stabilize insurance costs for businesses and consumers, increases transparency and fairness, and ensures Georgia continues to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family.' While Governor Kemp and state legislators have taken numerous steps in recent years to improve Georgia's tax and regulatory climate, tort reform aims to improve the judicial climate, making individuals and employers less vulnerable to costly and frivolous lawsuits. The tort reform package signed into law by Kemp last week does so by targeting 'phantom' damage awards and 'jury anchoring.' ''Phantom' damages are awards based on inflated medical bill amounts that were never actually paid — Georgia courts often base awards on these billed amounts rather than real payments,' the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) explains. 'Jury anchoring is a practice in which lawyers suggest an unreasonably large award before a jury with that number becoming an 'anchor' point in jurors' minds.' The tort reform package enacted by Kemp, ATRA adds, 'will address the expansion of premises liability in Georgia that has left businesses responsible for criminal acts committed by third parties on or near their property – even if they had no way to predict or prevent such acts.' Such practices, ATRA notes, 'lead to higher litigation costs across the board. 'Securing tort reform has been the Georgia Chamber's top legislative priority for 20 years,' said Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber. 'Getting both SB 68 and SB 69 signed into law fulfills the Georgia business community's promise to do right by Georgians by restoring balance to the civil justice system so our courts can focus on justice—not jackpots.' If one considers imitation to be a form of flattery, then Governor Kemp and Georgia lawmakers are now receiving high praise from the Lone Star State. While the debate over school choice has drawn the lion's share of media attention, Governor Greg Abbott (R), Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R), and Texas legislators are working to enact a number of other conservative priorities this year, among them a tort reform package similar to the one recently enacted in Georgia. 'Georgia's meaningful reforms will ensure that truly injured victims can recover fair compensation while preventing frivolous lawsuits from driving up costs for businesses and families,' Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) noted in a recent post. 'TLR—alongside the Lone Star Economic Alliance (LSEA), a business coalition comprised of 1,150 Texas job creators, individuals and associations from every corner of the state—is urging Texas legislators to pass similar reforms through SB 30.' SB 30, legislation introduced by Lt. Governor Patrick that passed out of the Texas Senate two weeks ago, 'seeks to prevent abusive lawsuit practices by many plaintiff lawyers that wrongfully inflate medical damages in personal injury lawsuits,' TLR explains. By approving SB 30, TLR adds, legislators 'will bring uniformity to Texas courtrooms by defining the noneconomic damages of pain and suffering and mental anguish, assuring that harmed persons are fully compensated on a fair and reasonable basis.' 'Critically, SB 30 would limit the evidence of medical damages that plaintiffs may submit at trial to 300% of the 2025 Medicare reimbursement rate with an adjustment for inflation,' adds TLR. 'The provision is meant to prevent lawyers from 'colluding with providers who over-diagnose, overbill and overtreat' victims to come up with inflated medical charges. Additionally, SB 30 makes clear that noneconomic awards cannot be used to punish defendants, make an example to others or serve a social good.' Nearly a week after the Texas Senate passed and sent SB 30 to the House, it approved SB 39, the other piece of Lt. Governor Patrick's tort reform package. SB 39, legislation filed by Senator Brian Birdwell (R), aims to crack down on frivolous lawsuits against trucking companies by clarifying the commercial vehicle litigation process. 'The explosion of lawsuits (many of them frivolous) against trucking companies in Texas has caused insurance rates to skyrocket, hurting Texans and our businesses,' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement released following Senate passage of SB 39 on April 24. 'By passing SB 39, the Texas Senate has taken a major step toward providing judges a clear approach to collision cases. These changes will speed up collision trials involving commercial motor vehicles so victims get justice quicker while decreasing legal costs for Texas businesses. I thank Sen. Birdwell for his work on this critical issue.' After years of trying and coming up short, Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R), and their colleagues are understandably celebrating the recent enactment of an education savings account program. With just over one month left before the biennial regular legislative session is scheduled to adjourn in Austin, however, lawmakers still have a lot of unfinished business left to tend to and many priority bills still awaiting consideration in one legislative chamber. There is reason to believe that passage of many outstanding priorities, tort reform in particular, is likely to prove politically popular. A survey was released on April 11 by Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT), a pro-tort reform group, gauging likely Texas voters' views about lawsuit abuse and the way in which it drives up the cost of living. That survey found: According to PACT, the results of their survey demonstrate that 'a vast majority of Texans believe lawsuit abuse is a key factor driving up the price of goods and services and want their legislators to take action to fix the system.' Texas lawmakers are working hard to reach a deal on property tax relief and reforms intended to reduce regulatory burdens. Yet the advancement of tort reform in Texas and other states underscores how, beyond tax and regulatory reform, there are other ways in which state lawmakers are aiming to reduce costs for households and businesses.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor signs bills limiting lawsuit damage awards for medical malpractice, property liability
Gov. Brian Kemp gives remarks before signing new lawsuit limits into law at the state Capitol Monday. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder Gov. Brian Kemp signed new lawsuit award limits into law Monday that he argues will bring balance to Georgia's legal environment and send relief to the state's businesses. The signing marks the end of a bruising fight at the state Capitol with both sides of the aisle feeling the fallout. But the debate over whether the pair of bills will help rein in costs rages on. 'Both of these bills accomplished our goal of leveling the playing field in Georgia's courtrooms and ensuring our business environment remains the best in the nation,' Kemp said in remarks at the state Capitol Monday. '(They) simply bring transparency and fairness to a process that has been abused for too long, that has driven up costs for businesses and consumers alike,' he added. Some of the bills' biggest supporters caution that it will take time for that relief to come. Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce said he believed the changes would help the state's small businesses and health care providers, especially in rural communities – but not overnight. 'It's not an easy fix. It's not going to lower rates for everybody tomorrow,' Clark said Monday. 'But if it can stabilize them, I think that's a huge win.' Insurance Commissioner John King, a Republican who is seen as a potential U.S. Senate candidate, said Monday that he expects to see reduced rates. If not, King said he wants to hear insurers explain why rates are not decreasing. 'We've expended so much political currency in getting this done. Now I expect insurance companies to meet us in the middle,' King said. In January, Kemp pledged to drag lawmakers back to Atlanta for a special session if 'meaningful, impactful' changes were not made to the state's civil litigation system. At one point, the governor's top aide said the governor's war chest would be used to back primary challengers for GOP defectors. In the end, the votes did not fall neatly along party lines, with eight Republican lawmakers in the House voting against Senate Bill 68, which contained the bulk of the changes. It just barely cleared the House with a 91-82 vote after some changes were made. The main bill includes provisions that would limit owners' liability for injuries that occur on their property, restrict damages awarded for medical bills, and enable trials to more easily be split into multiple stages so that juries can determine liability and damages separately. Georgia Democrats blasted Monday's bill signing. 'Congratulations to Brian Kemp for threatening and arm-twisting his way to the signing of his number one priority this year: shielding insurance companies from accountability to Georgians in court,' said Matthew Wilson, who is serving as interim chair of the Democratic Party Georgia and who is also a trial lawyer. Rep. Tanya Miller, an Atlanta Democrat and an attorney who was a leading voice of opposition to the bills this session, said Monday that if insurance rates do stabilize, it won't be because the state limited lawsuits in Georgia. Miller called the Kemp-backed package 'a manufactured solution to a manufactured problem.' 'The truth is, this so-called reform was never about solving a real problem,' Miller said. 'The tort reform campaign has long been run on half-truths, selective anecdotes, and outright misinformation. There was no crisis in our judicial system, and no credible data supports the claim that injured citizens seeking justice in a court of law caused insurance premiums to spike.' The bill had faced opposition from crime victims and their families and the trial attorneys who represent them. In the House, the bill was changed to carve out greater protections for survivors of human trafficking, but lawmakers did not extend similar protections to other child, elderly and sexual assault victims. Critics had argued that the last-minute changes didn't go far enough. 'Our laws should stand up for injured Georgians, not give big corporations a free pass for turning a blind eye,' said Rep. Stacey Evans, an Atlanta Democrat and an attorney who also helped lead the Democratic opposition to the bill. In the House, the focus on insurance rates will continue this year. House Speaker Jon Burns last week announced the creation of a blue-ribbon study committee on insurance rates. 'Throughout the interim, the House will take another look at something that's important: a close look at our state's insurance markets and premiums to ensure that our fellow Georgians and companies of every size have access to coverage and are not being subjected to unjustified rate increases,' Burns said in remarks at Monday's bill signing ceremony. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tort reform: Gov. Kemp to sign sweeping plan to limit lawsuits in Georgia
The Brief Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign two pieces of legislation that would limit lawsuits in the state. Kemp has made tort reform one of his main priorities for the spring legislative session, saying that the plan would stop "frivolous" suits that have hurt businesses owners. Opponents worry that the reforms will make it harder for victims of violence and sexual abuse to get justice. ATLANTA - Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign new legislation that could bring about historic tort reform in Georgia. The bills, which are aimed at limiting lawsuits and large verdicts, were one of the Republican governor's top priorities for the past legislative session. What we know Senate Bill 69 got overwhelming approval in the Senate and bipartisan support in the House, passing 98-69. It requires third-party entities that invest in litigation to register with the Department of Banking and Finance and bans foreign adversaries and governments from investing in litigation, among other reforms. It also limits how much the funders of litigation can influence civil litigation proceedings and the people involved. Senate Bill 68 passed in the House by a single vote, with several Republicans voting against the measure and three Democrats breaking ranks to vote to approve it. This bill requires anyone who sues a business or property owner over misconduct or injuries on their property to prove the owner knew about a specific security risk and physical condition on the property, but didn't provide adequate security. Business owners, trucking companies and others say they are threatened by expensive court verdicts or settlements. What they're saying Supporters of the bills argue that excessive lawsuits have driven up costs for businesses and consumers, while opponents contend that tort reform could make it harder for victims to seek compensation. "Small business owners have reported that insurance premiums have increased anywhere from 30% to 100% over the last few years, costing them thousands—if not millions—just to maintain basic coverage," Kemp said at the State Capitol in January. "Some insurance companies have pulled out of the state, leaving businesses with fewer options, while others are spending massive amounts to defend against excessive lawsuits. Ultimately, these rising costs are being passed on to consumers." The governor had previously warned that if action was not taken during the spring session, he might have called for a special legislative session later this year to address the issue. Republican House Speaker Jon Burns said lawmakers "worked tirelessly to craft" a bill that would "protect our businesses from frivolous lawsuits while upholding the rights of those with legitimate claims to be made whole." The other side Some groups fear children who are abused at childcare facilities, victims of elder abuse, and others would be harmed if a law is passed. At news conferences before the votes, parents and victims of human trafficking begged lawmakers to oppose Senate Bill 68. MORE:Georgia's tort reform battle: Parents rally against proposed legal changes "To be honest with you, my heart is just a little weary. ... I think of the victims that this will impact if passed, they will not have their day in civil court," said Susan Cobb, a Georgia nurse who settled with YMCA after her daughter was abused by a coach and later found dead. Before passing, lawmakers did add more protections to the section of the bill that made an exception for sex-trafficking survivors after their lawyers said they wouldn't have been able to bring most cases. However, lawyers say victims of rape and other violence would still be left without the ability to seek recourse from several responsible parties. Supporters have denied that. Democratic Rep. Stacey Evans, a lawyer in Atlanta, remarked, "The court should be a safe, welcoming place for all of us, and we just picked and chose losers today — those that will get access and those that will not." What's next Kemp is expected to sign both bills on Monday afternoon at the Georgia State Capitol. He will be joined by first lady Marty Kemp, Lt/. Gov. Burt Jones, Burns, other lawmakers, and industry leaders. Burns said that a House committee plans to study the practices of insurance companies, including how they set rates. The Source Information for this story came from a release by Gov. Brian Kemp's office, previous FOX 5 reporting, and the Associated Press.
