Smith
It's the truth. Illinois has serious issues. We are in the midst of a state budget crisis. The nation's economy has been in the grips of one of the worst recessions in history.
Yet Travis Akin – a spokesperson for an anti-consumer group – wants to blame you for it. Or more specifically, you exercising your right to justice.
Akin relies on the same false claims, distorted facts and worthless surveys. This time, he cites a recent "report" done by Pacific Research Institute (PRI).
This "report" is released every other year and has been discredited as entirely bogus and having no methodology or academic basis for its results. This "report" is simply a scheme by powerful corporations to avoid accountability in the courtroom and stack the deck against every day Americans. In fact, PRI's own "study" actually proves that "lawsuit reform" doesn't work.
PRI is funded by big business, tobacco, big oil, insurance and pharmaceutical companies. These corporate special interests are upset that they cannot dominate the judicial system in Illinois. So when they can't win, these groups seek to take away your rights by attempting to destroy the civil justice system to evade accountability.
Don't be fooled.
There is no correlation between our state's economy and the civil justice system, despite Akin's attempt to convince you of that. Illinoisans should be proud that our court system protects us from dangerous products and negligent behavior and holds corporate wrongdoers accountable.