Illinois State Senate
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Recent News About Illinois State Senate
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Governor Perry Announces Key Staff Changes
Boyd Gov. Rick Perry has named Jeff Boyd chief of staff and David Morales general counsel. He also named Allison Castle communications director, Josh Havens deputy press secretary, and Jonathan Hurst director of Budget, Planning and Policy. -
Dickie Scruggs gets testimony unsealed in attempt to vacate guilty plea
Scruggs ABERDEEN, Miss. � Tort king Dickie Scruggs, who disgraced Mississippi on his way to prison, aims to get out early by disgracing his brother-in-law, former U. S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. -
Senate confirms Obama nominee Bales as US Attorney for east Texas
Bales On Jan. 26, 2003, John Malcolm Bales had just been named chief of the criminal division for the federal Eastern District of Texas Lufkin office. -
Legal Reform in the Lone Star State: How it works and why Louisiana needs it
Landry NEW ORLEANS, La. - It is hard to imagine, but not very long ago, Texas was described by the Wall Street Journal as the "lawsuit capital of the world." Frivolous lawsuits and settlements were out of control. Plaintiff-friendly laws, judges and juries made it virtually impossible for defendants to get a fair trial. Meanwhile, businesses, doctors and, most importantly, jobs were leaving the state in droves. -
Capitol Comment: Debt ceiling agreement step in the right direction
The debt ceiling agreement recently passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, while not perfect, is a step in the right direction. Sensible spending cuts, not tax increases, are the right path to a balanced budget. Here's the quick outline of the plan: -
Legally Speaking: Sixteen, and Life to Go (Part 2)
The first installment of this series examined the case of Chad Uptergrove, tried as an adult and convicted of capital murder for a crime committed when he was only 16 � a crime perpetrated by an older friend. -
***FOR PRINT***Governors of Texas, South Carolina sign tort reform into law
AUSTIN (Legal Newsline) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry was in Houston Wednesday for the ceremonial signing of a new law that will implement a loser-pays system for frivolous lawsuits filed in the state. -
Woman loses rape case against former employer
Jones HOUSTON � A federal jury in Houston has ruled Jamie Leigh Jones, whose case became a call-to-action for reform in arbitration clauses in contracts, was not raped. -
TWIA reform bill supported by reformers
Trabulsi The Texas Legislature has approved a bill that will revamp the state's windstorm insurance program . -
Texas anti-SLAPP bill becomes law
Hunter With Gov. Rick Perry's signature, Texas became the 27th state to adopt legislation that protects citizens from being sued for expressing their First Amendment rights. -
TWIA reform bill approved by Senate committee
Carona A Texas Senate committee on Wednesday morning approved a bill to reform the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, but it is different from the one passed by the House last week and could send lawmakers into another special session. -
Texas House bill would prevent collection of punitive damages from TWIA lawsuits
Smithee The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would cap the amount of damages plaintiffs can receive from litigation against the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. -
Legally Speaking: All the Legal Weirdness That's Fit to Print (Part 1)
Readers of "Legally Speaking" know that I'm particularly fond of illustrating the quirkiness of the legal system, from the oddest of its litigants to the craziest criminals and the strangest cases. -
Perry signs 'loser pays' lawsuit reform into law
Texas Gov. Rick Perry signs HB 274 into law on May 30. Perry was joined by the bill's author, Rep. Brandon Creighton, far left, and Senate sponsor Sen. Joan Huffman, far right. Gov. Rick Perry on Monday signed a bill that will implement a "loser pays" system to stop frivolous lawsuits in Texas. -
Texas SLAPPers get slapped
How often does a major piece of legislation receive unanimous approval? We're not talking about the designation of a state anthem or a state bird or the commemoration of a Cowboys Super Bowl world championship (it's been a while). -
Texas Senate passes Citizen Participation Act to eliminate SLAPP suits
Hunter AUSTIN - The Texas Senate unanimously passed the Citizen Participation Act, anti-SLAPP legislation aimed at curbing lawsuits intended to silence critics. -
*** FOR PRINT **** GOP blocks vote on Obama nominee
Obama WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Republicans in the U.S. Senate filibustered the nomination of a law professor to a federal appeals court last week. -
GOP blocks vote on Obama nominee
Obama WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Republicans in the U.S. Senate filibustered the nomination of a law professor to a federal appeals court last week. -
Texas Senate committee approves revised 'loser pays' bill
Huffman AUSTIN - A House bill designed to penalize those who file frivolous lawsuits received unanimous support from members of the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, a move that surprised both sides of the aisle.