Washington AG calls for tort reform

OLYMPIA, Wash., March 20 (UPI) -- Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna said Thursday that lawsuits against the state are taking taxpayer dollars away from state programs.

"There are basically no boundaries or limits on claims that are brought against state taxpayers by a tort claimant," McKenna told Legal Newsline.

The Republican attorney general said Washington annually pays out 10 times as much in civil settlements as Idaho does and six times more than Oregon.

The Evergreen State, he said, has paid out about $500 million in tort claims in the last 25 years.

"That is money that is not available to improve services such as foster care and transportation," he told the legal news service.

McKenna said he last tried to overhaul a tort law in 2006, when he pushed a bill to have lawmakers adopt damage-award limits. He said the proposal received a hearing but failed amid opposition from Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire.

"I will not introduce more legislation until I have some indication from the governor and key legislators that it will be given serious consideration," he said. "There are a lot of issues to work on, so there's no point in introducing bills that aren't going to be taken seriously."