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Dan Walters: Schwarzenegger renews old battle over lawsuits
Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/29/10 | Dan Walters

Posted on 01/29/2010 7:43:12 AM PST by SmithL

Governors and other politicians come to the Capitol and eventually go away, some to other political venues and some to obscurity.

As they come and go, however, thousands of interest groups and their professional warriors remain, fighting and refighting battles for decades.

None of those conflicts is more enduring than "tort war," the struggle over the rules governing injury lawsuits waged by trial lawyers, who would expand the ability to sue and collect damages, and business groups that want to restrict suits.

While some of their clashes are obvious – the decades-long fight over medical malpractice damages, for instance – others are less so, involving surrogates and side issues, and for the most part, it's been a stalemate.

In 1975, then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed the medical malpractice law, capping pain and suffering damages, that personal injury lawyers hate.

Since then, Consumer Attorneys of California, the trial lawyer lobby, has occasionally moved tort bills in a Democratic Legislature, but governors, especially Republicans, have consistently strangled them.

In the waning months of his governorship, Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to go on offense, embracing major changes in tort law as part of his economic stimulus package and saying he wants to short-circuit "frivolous lawsuits that kill jobs."

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: attacklawyers; goldenstate; schwarzenegger; tortreform

1 posted on 01/29/2010 7:43:13 AM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL
In the waning months of his governorship, Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to go on offense, embracing major changes in tort law as part of his economic stimulus package and saying he wants to short-circuit "frivolous lawsuits that kill jobs."

Why would anyone in California believe, let alone trust, Governor Arnie any farther than they can throw him?

2 posted on 01/29/2010 11:42:30 AM PST by RJL
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To: RJL
Dear Arnold "Big Windbag Promises" Schwartztenegger:

As Full Metal Jacket's Animal Mother asked:

"Ya talk the talk. Do ya walk the walk?"


3 posted on 01/29/2010 12:34:35 PM PST by FormerACLUmember (The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule. - H. L. Menken.)
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To: RJL
Dear Arnold "Big Windbag Promises" Schwartztenegger:

As Full Metal Jacket's Animal Mother asked:

"Ya talk the talk. Do ya walk the walk?"


4 posted on 01/29/2010 12:35:00 PM PST by FormerACLUmember (The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule. - H. L. Menken.)
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