Why Georgia's latest push to curb lawsuits has business groups and trial lawyers at odds

abcnews.go.com:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republicans will push to limit lawsuits when the legislative session starts this month

ATLANTA — After years of stalled efforts to limit civil lawsuits, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Republican lawmakers are doubling down with a new push.

Supporters, most prominently business groups, call the state a “judicial hellhole,” and argue that businesses are being crushed by rising insurance costs driven by excessive lawsuits that have helped plaintiffs get big payouts.

“This issue is not about business,” said Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, a Dahlonega Republican. “It’s about every Georgian paying more and more premiums for their insurance. Whatever we can do to make it more affordable to own a home, operate your vehicle and protect your family with insurance, we need to do it.”

But opponents say there's no proof that lawsuits are closely linked to rising insurance rates and that limits will make it harder for injured parties to win justice in court.

“This is about trying to do some favors for people who hopefully will line your political pockets,” said Jen Jordan, an attorney and former Democratic state senator. “At the end of the day, Georgians are going to be hurt.”

Kemp in 2022 promised the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, one of his top allies, that he would seek to limit lawsuit costs, a push that many call “tort reform.” But he admitted in 2023 that the effort was complicated, and instead signed a law to gather data on lawsuit verdicts.

Even as Kemp held events to build public support ahead of the legislative session, which begins Monday, the Republican governor is having to contend with GOP lawyers in the General Assembly who make a living by filing lawsuits, Democrats who mostly oppose