On Thursday, the state House adopted Senate Bill 68, legislation that addresses several aspects of tort reform. Today, the Senate concurred with their changes and the bill is now headed to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature.
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation released the following statement:
“The Georgia Public Policy Foundation and Georgia Policy Impact congratulate the members of the General Assembly for passing Senate Bill 68, which will provide meaningful relief to Georgia residents and business owners bearing the financial burden of abusive lawsuits. This bill is a significant step toward bringing balance to Georgia’s courtrooms. While all plaintiffs have the right to their day in court — and very much still do under this legislation — it is equally important to protect the rights of defendants who too often face losing the fruits of a lifetime of labor for actions they did not take, or because jurors have not had access to all of the relevant facts. We encourage legislators to continue pursuing other needed reforms during this session and in the years to come.
“We are particularly grateful to Gov. Brian Kemp for leading this effort with clarity and persistence; to Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Speaker Jon Burns for ensuring the measure received all due consideration in their respective chambers; and to Senate President Pro Tempore John Kennedy and House Majority Whip James Burchett for shepherding the bill as its sponsors.”