I-LAW holds rally in Springfield

As part of an ongoing effort to end Illinois’ status as a safe haven for aggressive personal injury lawyers and the job-killing frivolous lawsuits they bring, local supporters of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch (I-LAW), a grassroots, non-partisan legal watchdog group, gathered at a rally in Springfield to call on legislators to enact meaningful lawsuit reforms.

A group of I-LAW activists traveled to Springfield to talk to lawmakers about the need for the Legislature to enact meaningful lawsuit reforms. The day included meetings with legislators and an opportunity to meet with Governor Bruce Rauner. Governor Rauner encouraged the I-LAW supporters to keep fighting for lawsuit reform.

“Governor Rauner understands lawsuit reform is an important ingredient for economic development and is something we need here in Illinois,” said Travis Akin, executive director of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch. “There is still time for lawmakers to enact lawsuit reforms this spring. The problem is the legislative leaders refuse to even consider reforms and our state continues to lag behind our neighbors as a result.”

Illinois is losing people at an alarming rate and the trend does not seem to be slowing down. In 2017, Illinois lost 33,703 people and since 2010, Illinois has lost 643,000 residents net to other states.

A recent report from the American Economic Development Institute ranks Illinois the 49th worst state in the nation for doing business. Illinois’ ranking is just slightly above California. Another report from Chief Executive Magazine, which was just released, ranks Illinois the third worst state in the country for doing business. According to the report, Indiana is ranked #5; Wisconsin is ranked #13; Iowa is ranked #14; Kentucky is ranked #25; and Missouri is ranked #30.

“Illinois – the ‘Sue Me State’ – continues to allow powerful personal injury lawyers to game the system to their personal advantage while their backers in the Illinois General Assembly continue to block common sense lawsuit reforms that will help keep businesses from fleeing our state,” Akin said. “Meanwhile, surrounding states are implementing lawsuit reforms and seeing positive results. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker just singed into a law another comprehensive lawsuit reform measure. The contrast could not be clearer. Wisconsin is attracting new people and new businesses while the mass exodus from Illinois continues.”

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According to a recent report on the litigation climate in the states, Illinois was ranked the third worst state in the country for legal fairness and more than 85 percent of the business leaders surveyed by Harris Poll for the report said lawsuit climate is a “significant factor” in determining where to expand and grow.

“The reality is companies look to move to states where the legal climate is fair, which is why Illinois’ status as the third-worst state in the country for legal fairness is making it extremely difficult to attract new employers,” Akin said. “The time for lawsuit reform is now.”

For more information about Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch, visit us on the web at www.ILLawsuitAbuseWatch.org and find links to I-LAW’s Twitter and Facebook pages there.

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Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch (I-LAW) is a grassroots watchdog group of concerned citizens, community leaders and small business people dedicated to educating the public about the widespread costs of lawsuit abuse. I-LAW has more than 20,000 supporters throughout Illinois. Anyone interested in becoming a supporter of I-LAW or learning more about stopping lawsuit abuse in Illinois can visit www.ILLawsuitAbuseWatch.org