Jackson Free Press

The October 2003 newsletter of Mississippians for Economic Progress, a group set up by industry groups, to limit lawsuits in the state, says that 72 legislative candidates in the state have signed a detailed pledge in support of further regulating the rights of citizens to bring lawsuits, and protecting businesses from liability claims. The candidates, if elected, pledge to support industry and the position of Barbour/Tuck that much more "reform" is needed in the state to help industry. The same forces, however, are not pledging to also look at potential reforms possibly needed on the insurance side of the aisle, or supporting hearings to find out whether insurance reform is also needed to help both citizens and doctors. (Click for full list.)

The newsletter also said: "Since both gubernatorial candidate Haley Barbour and incument Gt. Governor Amy Tuck have each campaigned heavily on tort reform during the 2003 election season, it seems reasonable that each will make ending lawsuit abuse in our courts a key priority during the next four years. ... If the right people are elected to the Governor's and Lt. Governor's offices and the voters elect pro-business, pro-tort reform majorities in the House and Senate, pushing comprehensive civil justice reform bills through the legislative process will be relatively easy in 2004."

The following candidates signed the pledge, according to the newsletter:

Noel Akins
Sidney Albritton
Brian Aldridge
Tom Bailey
Larry Baker
Richard Baker
Jim Barnett
Robert Bass
Jim Beckett
Leonard Bentz
Sid Bondurant
Chris Brown
Terry Brown
Nickey Browning
Virginia Carlton
Videt Carmichael
Mike Chaney
Gary Chism
William Coleman
Derrick Dahl
Lee Jarrell Davis
Margaret Delashmit
Bill Denny
Jim Ellington
Joey Fillingane
Mark Formby
Don Fulton
Janie Gregg
Danny Guice
Eugene Hamilton
David Harrington
Larry Harvey
Jethro Henderson
Frank Herring
Billy Hewes
Bobby Howell
Roger Ishee
Michael Janus
Wanda Jennings
Tom King
Dean Kirby
Patricia Lamar
Perry Lee
Mike Lott
Rita Martinson
Chester Masterson
Ted Mayhall
Sam Mims
tommy Moffatt
John Moore
Kirk Morgan
Billy Nicholson
Alan Nunnelee
Stacey Pickering
Danny Reed
John Reeves
Gaines Reynolds
Eric Robinson
Margaret Rogers
Ray Rogers
Clayton Smith
Jeff Smith
Greg Snowden
Charles Stogner
Jerry Turner
Jessica Upshaw
Robert Vince
Charles Walden
Tom Weathersby
Carmel Wells-Smith
Richard White
Hank Zuber

Remember that, as we report in this issue's Barbour piece, the U.S. Chamber has funneled at least a milion dollars in Barbour's campaign through their tort-reform arm.