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Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Tara Mack

345 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5506

For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640

Posted: 2012-02-03 00:00:00
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NEWS COLUMN

February 3 Legislative Update

Friends,

It was a busy week getting back into the routine of session again – but it is always a very fun time for me! The House advanced four very important lawsuit reform bills, also known as tort reform, during our floor session on Wednesday. These bills are designed to improve the business and job climate in Minnesota. Tort Reform is important for Minnesota because the reforms made are the first step in encouraging businesses to stay and grow here. The reforms also improve fairness in litigation, leading to efficient resolutions while decreasing costs for businesses. They also will reduce the rate of excessive court claims that take up court time and keep businesses from investing in jobs.

Bill specific reforms include:

• Senate File 530 lowers the prejudgment interest rate on awards and judgments from the current (and elevated) 10% flat rate to a market-driven rate with a floor of four percent.
• Senate File 149 enacts class action lawsuit reforms, including the authorizing an appeal of right for the certification of a class action before expensive discovery costs are incurred. It also increases the conciliation court jurisdictional limit from $7,500 to $10,000 and raises the cap for consumer credit claims from $4,000 to $5,000.
• Senate File 373 shortens Minnesota's general statute of limitations from six years (currently the longest in the country) to four years.
• Senate File 429 requires courts to consider the reasonableness of attorney fees in relation to the amount of damages awarded, and the amount of damages sought compared to the amount of damages awarded.

Precinct caucuses are next Tuesday, February 7th at 7:00pm. I would highly encourage you to attend; it is a great way to be involved at the local level.

Not sure what precinct you are in? Visit http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

Have a great weekend!

Tara Mack

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