In Washington, talks about treason swirl around the White House, and that seems like the most important of events; but meanwhile back at the ranch, our very own lege is busy harming Arkansans.
This week the Republicon-controlled state government voted to shorten the time allowed for unemployed worker benefits from 20 weeks to 16 and reduce benefits’ amounts to the advantage of the employer and the state. In addition to less money and time, unemployment benefits will now be taxed as income.
Never mind that Trane’s 400 jobs just left the state. Whirlpool too is gone, leaving behind a toxic mess and hundreds of other unemployed workers. I guess there is little surprise in this new law; but it just seems that my fellow citizens need to wake up to the fox in the henhouse!
Under cover of the unsustainable mess in DC, our Republicons are sneaking in a takeover of our state judicial system. Right now they are planning to spring this on the voters in the guise of an initiative that curbs contingency fees an attorney can collect for pro bono work (unless it’s a successful lawsuit). They want you to think the Republicon lege is keeping those greedy lawyers in their place and the client will keep more of the settlement. Sounds like a good deal for John Doe, right? Wrong.
What it actually does is strip the courts of judicial power and turn it over to politicians. “The proposed amendment would limit punitive damages in lawsuits to $250,000 or three times the amount of compensatory damages. Non-economic damages would be limited to $250,000 or $500,000 for all beneficiaries of a claimant who died.”
That’s great for corporations; a worker can get killed and the corporate owners are only financially responsible for a pittance of the corporate wealth. A young breadwinner’s lifetime earnings are usually much greater than $250,000; so again, the victim is victimized.
But the real prize of this legislative session would be capturing the judiciary. Instead of the courts acting as a separate and equal branch of government, the politicians would “require legislative approval for any rules of pleading, practice or procedure for state courts.”
This amendment is of course, fueled by the corporate friendly Chamber of Commerce. The Arkansas Supreme Court Justice and State Bar Association are opposed.
Sen. Will Bond called the measure a “wholesale takeover of the judiciary. Don’t fill the lungs of liberty with this smoke screen to satisfy folks out there who want to limit a fundamental right, and your right to civil jury trial is a fundamental right.”
Sheri Hanson