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Senate approves transparency, fairness and accountability measures:
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Sen. Alan Seabaugh (R-Many) handled the three House bills on the Floor tonight, kicking things off with HB 450 by Rep. Michael Melerine (R-Shreveport). The bill legislatively overrules the Housley Presumption, requiring a plaintiff to prove their injuries were caused by the accident. With each of the three House bills today came an attempt to add an amendment mandating insurers reduce premiums by 2% within sixty days of the bills’ effective date. Not only is this not enough time for the laws to take effect, but as LABI and many others have noted: there is no silver bullet to fixing this crisis. That said, the package of bills combined was designed to lower insurance costs, rein in lawsuit abuse to make our state more attractive to insurers—with the ultimate goal of putting downward pressure on rates.
The amendment to HB 450 failed along with similar amendments to subsequent bills proposing the same.
In closing, Sen. Seabaugh responded to comments about previous bites at the apple when it comes to legal reform, pointing out that the true reforms didn’t pass or were vetoed, and what made it through the process was “designed to pass something so we could stop having the conversation.”
“When people come up here and say, we do tort reform year after year after year, that is absolutely, fundamentally not true,” he continued. “We have not passed comprehensive, real litigation reform since the late 1990s. So again, I ask you, please vote for this bill, and let’s actually start moving in the right direction.”
The bill passed by a vote of 28-9. Click below to watch his full closing.
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