Lawsuit Reform in the 81st Legislative Session

This site describes the efforts of citizens of Texas to restore balance and fairness to the Texas civil justice system. Long considered the lawsuit capital of the world, Texas citizens finally demanded reforms. Texas tort reform has won reasonable, bi-partisan reforms in recent years. Leo E. Linbeck, Jr., Dick Weekley, Richard J. Trabulsi, Jr., Allan Shivers, Jr., Hugh Rice Kelly and Michael S. Stevens lead this organization. Founded on principles of solid research, grassroots advocacy and bi-partisan cooperation, more than a dozen tort reform measures have been enacted since 1995. These measures and the ongoing effort of Texans for Lawsuit Reform are defined on this site. TLR has also helped scrutinize the legal fees associated with the Texas tobacco settlement.

Recent News

The benefits of tort reform in Texas

Paris News, Aug. 15, 2010

Lawsuit reform has been good for Texas. A recent commentary to the contrary on this page failed to include some very important facts.

Let’s begin with a quick review of the history. In 1994, when Texans for Lawsuit Reform was founded, Texas civil courts were a national laughingstock, known to be notoriously unfair and a huge deterrent to businesses that wanted to grow and expand.

How Lawsuit Reform Could Help California Recover

Pacific Research Institute, Vol. 16, No. 29, Aug. 4, 2010

California is staring down the barrel of a $19 billion budget deficit, huge debt, and an unemployment rate in excess of 12 percent. Legislators can help the state recover by enacting the lawsuit reforms California desperately needs.

Bitter divorce battle reveals unflattering side of South Texas legal system

McAllen Monitor, June 27, 2010

Before arriving in the Rio Grande Valley in 2006, Houston lawyer Newton Schwartz knew Wilfrido “Willie” Garcia only by reputation.

Dick Weekley Talks TLR at SMU

TLR Founder and CEO Dick Weekley delivers the O'Neill Lecture at SMU entitled "How the 'Lawsuit Capitol of the World' Became a National Model for Tort Reform."

Click To Watch

TLR's 2009 Legislative Luncheon

Click here to view the video of TLR's Legislative luncheon featuring Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott

Health Justice: Texas Tort Reform - A Success Story

To see why Texas has become a national model for medical liability reform, view this presentation by Dr. John T. Gill, a Dallas orthopedic surgeon, who was directly involved in the battle to pass Proposition 12 in 2003. Video is courtesy of Center for Health Transformation.

View the streaming video

Lawsuit Reform in the 81st Legislative Session

How State Representatives Voted

State Representatives who joined Chairman Todd Hunter in killing bad trial lawyer bills in the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee:

Beverly Woolley (R-Houston)
Jim Jackson (R-Carrollton)
Tryon Lewis (R-Odessa)
Jerry Madden (R-Richardson)
Dan Branch (R-Dallas)

State Representatives who supported the trial lawyer agenda in the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee:

Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)
Roberto Alonzo (D-Dallas)
David Leibowitz (D-San Antonio)

Democrats who stood up for lawsuit reform, despite tremendous pressure from trial lawyers:

Chuck Hopson (D-Jacksonville)
Eddie Lucio III (D-Brownsville)
Marisa Marquez (D-El Paso)
Tara Rios Ybarra (D-South Padre Island)
Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs)
Mark Strama (D-Austin)
Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City)
Aaron Pena (D-Edinburg).

Republicans State Representatives who supported the trial lawyer agenda:

Dan Gattis (R-Georgetown)
Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)
Todd Smith (R-Euless)
John Smithee (R-Amarillo).

The 71 State Representatives who voted with lawsuit reform advocates and against the Entergy Bill -- the only bad trial lawyer bill to make it to the House floor:

Doc Anderson (R-Waco)
Jimmy Don Aycock (R-Killeen)
Leo Berman (R-Tyler)
Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston)
Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton)
Dan Branch (R-Dallas)
Betty Brown (R-Terrell)
Fred Brown (R-College Station)
Angie Chen Button (R-Garland)
Bill Callegari (R-Katy)
Warren Chisum (R-Pampa)
Wayne Christian (R-Center)
Byron Cook (R-Corsicana)
Frank Corte, Jr. (R-San Antonio)
Tom Craddick (R-Midland)
Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe)
Myra Crownover (R-Denton)
Drew Darby (R-San Angelo)
John Davis (R-Houston)
Joe Driver (R-Garland)
Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands)
Gary Elkins (R-Houston)
Allen Fletcher (R-Tomball)
Dan Flynn (R-Van)
Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth)
Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills)
Rick Hardcastle (R-Vernon)
Patricia Harless (R-Spring)
Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving)
Harvey Hilderbran (R-Kerrville)
Chuck Hopson (D-Jacksonville)
Charlie Howard (R-Sugar Land)
Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi)
Carl Isett (R-Lubbock)
Jim Jackson (R-Carrollton)
Delwin Jones (R-Lubbock)
Jim Keffer (R-Eastland)
Phil King (R-Weatherford)
Susan King (R-Abilene)
Tim Kleinschmidt (R-Lexington)
Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
Jodie Laubenberg (R-Parker)
Ken Legler (R-Pasadena)
Tryon Lewis (R-Odessa)
Eddie Lucio III (D-Brownsville)
Jerry Madden (R-Richardson)
Marisa Marquez (D-El Paso)
Brian McCall (R-Plano)
Tommy Merritt (R-Longview)
Doug Miller (R-New Braunfels)
Sid Miller (R-Stephenville)
Geanie Morrison (R-Victoria)
Rob Orr (R-Burleson)
John Otto (R-Dayton)
Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound)
Diane Patrick (R-Arlington)
Ken Paxton (R-McKinney)
Larry Phillips (R-Sherman)
Debbie Riddle (R-Tomball)
Tara Rios Ybarra (D- South Padre Island)
Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs)
Ralph Sheffield (R-Temple)
Mark Shelton (R-Fort Worth)
Wayne Smith (R-Baytown)
Mark Strama (D-Austin)
David Swinford (R-Dumas)
Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood)
Vicki Truitt (R-Keller)
Randy Weber (R-Pearland)
Beverly Woolley (R-Houston)
John Zerwas (R-Richmond)

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