Wentworth is the only Republican senator who consistently supports the trial lawyer agenda

Austin, TX – Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC released a statement today detailing Sen. Jeff Wentworth’s dismal record on lawsuit reform. Issued in conjunction with a letter to Republican primary voters in Senate District 25, leaders of Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC said:

Sen. Jeff Wentworth, (R-San Antonio) was the only Republican state senator to campaign against critical medical liability reform in 2003. He was an outspoken opponent of Proposition 12, the constitutional amendment that capped damages for pain, emotional suffering and other non-economic damages in lawsuits against doctors and hospitals.

In 2009, Wentworth supported the plaintiff trial lawyers on their three major initiatives: a bill to repeal the “paid or incurred” provision of the Omnibus Tort Reform Act of 2003 (HB 4) and two bills to reverse or undermine important decisions by the conservative Texas Supreme Court (the Entergy and Borg-Warner decisions). Fortunately, none of the three bills passed the Legislature.

In 2011, Wentworth was again the only Republican senator to vote against a much needed reform of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Wentworth sided with Houston trial lawyer Steve Mostyn, past president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and a supporter of President Obama. Mostyn personally spent ten million dollars against conservative candidates in the 2010 election cycle. In contrast, the TWIA Reform Bill was supported by Governor Perry, Lt. Governor Dewhurst and Speaker Straus, and was passed with an overwhelming legislative majority.

An even greater indication of Sen. Wentworth’s support for plaintiff trial lawyers are two bills he introduced in 2011 that, if passed, would have provided windfalls for plaintiff lawyers while dealing serious blows to the Texas economy.

In each of the past three legislative sessions, Sen. Wentworth authored an exceptionally expansive qui tam bill, which would create vast new and seemingly endless liabilities for anyone doing business with the State of Texas or for any activities related to any expenditures made by or to the State. The bill allows a private party to bring lawsuits on behalf of the government and with the force and effect of the government, giving a plaintiff overwhelming leverage in litigation against private-sector defendants. In every jurisdiction in which an equally expansive qui tam bill exists, it is a nightmare for employers and a bonanza for trial lawyers.

Also in 2011, Sen. Wentworth introduced a bill that would shift the litigation playing field drastically in favor of plaintiff lawyers. The bill would dramatically alter the cost-shifting offer-of-settlement mechanism enacted into law as part of the comprehensive tort reform of 2003 (HB 4). The Wentworth bill is a cunning and blatant attempt by the Senator and the trial lawyers to subvert the balance and fairness produced by the hard-earned lawsuit reforms of the last two decades by introducing new ways to further enrich the politically powerful plaintiff trial bar.

Fortunately, the conservative, pro-free enterprise legislative majority has so far prevented Sen. Wentworth’s trial-lawyer bills from becoming law. The passage and defense of comprehensive civil justice reform has been one of the main reasons why Texas has outpaced all other states in job creation in the last decade.

TLR PAC is the political arm of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the state's largest civil justice reform organization. Fighting lawsuit abuse since 1994, TLR is a bipartisan, volunteer-led coalition with more than 17,000 supporters residing in 818 Texas communities and representing 1,266 different businesses, professions and trades. For more information about TLR PAC visit www.tlrpac.com.

Pol. Adv. Paid for by Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, Lupe Fraga, Treasurer
919 Congress, Suite 455 Austin, Texas 78701