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Atlanta, GA June 21,
2005 -
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, the keynote speaker at
Southeastern Legal Foundation’s annual event, Celebrate America®
2005, this week shared his insights into state-level civil
justice reform to the 500-plus banquet
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Gov. Haley Barbour |
“The way to succeed
in the tort reform battle in the face of tremendous opposition
by the trial lawyers is to focus the message in a way that makes
sense to the grassroots: it’s about job creation and quality
medical care. Period,” said Barbour.
On the heels of
tremendous success reforming his state’s civil justice system,
Barbour told the gathering of corporate leaders and advocacy
organizations that “the grassroots level is where civil justice
reform will happen – not just in Atlanta, Jackson, Columbia, or
even Washington, DC. Corporate America should help fund the
reform effort, small business should help lead it, and the
grassroots communicators will make it happen. That’s how it’s
worked in Mississippi, and how it’s working in Georgia, South
Carolina, Florida, Alabama, and across the nation.”
Former U.S. Attorney
General Edwin Meese III, a Southeastern Legal Foundation trustee
and chairman of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies of The
Heritage Foundation, reinforced Barbour’s message. “Gov.
Barbour has created a tremendous model for civil justice reform
at the state level in his home state,” said Meese. “With the
participation of the freedom-based public interest law firms
like Southeastern Legal Foundation, fairness, balance and
predictability are gradually being restored to our nation’s
civil justice system. We view the successes in Mississippi,
Georgia, and South Carolina as the first steps toward victory
for the American people, but we must remain active and vigilant.
Shannon Goessling,
executive director for Southeastern Legal Foundation, praised
both Meese and Barbour for their leadership on civil justice
reform. “It makes going into battle each day a much more
positive experience when you know that men like General Meese
and Gov. Barbour are standing behind you, providing leadership
and intellectual firepower,” said Goessling. “We owe these men
a debt of gratitude as we continue our efforts in Georgia, South
Carolina, and Florida to reform the tort system.”
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