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| Date: | July 25, 2012 | | Contact Name: | Peter Winiecki | | Contact Phone: | 651-297-8077 | | Contact Email: | peter.winiecki@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR JULIANNE ORTMAN NAMED LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR |
Victoria --- State Senator Julianne Ortman (R-Chanhassen), will be presented tonight with the “Champion for Lawsuit Reform Award on Wednesday evening commending her legislative efforts to reform Minnesota’s justice system. Senator Ortman is the first ever recipient of this award. The award distinguishes Senator Ortman as Legislator of the Year on behalf of Minnesotans for Lawsuit Reform, a group comprised of 45 business trade associations and regional chambers of commerce, representing more than 58,000 employers and almost 100 other separately named individuals and businesses.
“I am very grateful to receive the Champion for Lawsuit Reform Award from Minnesotans for Lawsuit Reform. We share a similar and important belief; that making key reforms to our state’s civil justice system will help lower costs to consumers of the goods and services they buy,” said Senator Ortman. “In the legislature, we made some good progress over the past few years, but there is more work to be done.”
“Our state’s residents deserve swift justice, and a court system that encourages early and fair resolution of legal disputes,” said Senator Ortman. “I will remain committed to working with Minnesotans for Lawsuit Reform to further help streamline our processes, save costs in our courts, and save Minnesotans the opportunity costs of participating in lengthy and expensive lawsuits.”
Senator Ortman has long believed that Minnesota’s Civil Justice System has been in desperate need of reform. In recent years, Senator Ortman introduced and advanced bills to reform the statute of limitations, to reform class actions lawsuits and to lower the prejudgment interest rate on awards and judgments. Many of these bills received overwhelming bipartisan support in the legislature, but were unfortunately vetoed by Governor Mark Dayton.
Bob Johnson, the President of the Insurance Federation of Minnesota and Board Chair of Minnesotans for Lawsuit Reform will be in attendance for tonight’s presentation.
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