The Missouri Senate debated and negotiated the number one priority tort reform issue for many allied business organizations beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday and continuing through 6:20 a.m. Wednesday.
The lengthy delay included serious debate and questioning as well as senators singing and joke telling on the floor as others worked on a compromise.
In the end, the bill, SB 7, sponsored by Sen. Ed Emery, was perfected. The compromise bill codifies the recent Missouri Supreme Court decision in State ex rel. Johnson & Johnson v. Burlison, No. SC96704.
“While our legal experts will review the compromise language much deeper in the coming days, Associated Industries of Missouri thanks Senator Emery, President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, Senate Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden, Senator Bob Onder, Senator Tony Luetkemeyer and Senator Scott Sifton for working so hard, and for so long, to arrive at a bill that can pass the Senate,” said Ray McCarty, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Missouri.
Richard Aubuchon of the Missouri Civil Justice Reform Coalition, a chief negotiator, whose coalition includes many business groups including AIM, was pleased.
“Having venue reform pass the Senate is significant and was one of the biggest barriers to passage of other priority tort reform bills in the Senate. This passage proved without a doubt that the Senate Leadership is locked in on passing tort reform this year. Let’s keep the momentum,” Aubuchon said in an email to the coalition.
You may read the Senate Substitute (and two amendments) at these links:
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