Charlie Ross Praises Mississippi "Tort Reform." US Chamber Disagrees

Charlie Ross's claim to fame in state politics revolves largely around the credit he takes for passing the many lawsuit restrictions of the past few years.

Apparently those restrictions save you money, make your grass grow greener and make your kids even smarter. At least that is what it seems like he and his boosters seem to want us to believe.

Bill Minor has a new column titled "U.S. Chamber lets the air out of Miss. tort reformers' balloon" which takes issue with some of Ross's contentions.

In an interview with the Jackson Free Press in April, Ross grabbed figures out of the air: that medical malpractice lawsuits have dropped 90 percent; medical malpractice insurance premiums are down 30 percent; and doctors have returned to practice in the state, especially in rural areas.

Ross even claimed the improved legal climate helped land the recently announced $1.3 billion Toyota assembly plant in northeast Mississippi.

That is laughable. Bill Minor is good to point out that Nissan happily came to Mississippi prior to the law change and Toyota actually picked Texas over Mississippi for a plant prior to this one even though the "legal climate" was roughly the same.

Before Ross claims again that lawsuits are down 90 percent and that premiums are down 30 percent, he might want to find some facts first.

I'll quote Bill Minor and ask "Where's the beef?" And I won't even get into the beef plant now.