Commentary: Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week

California’s love affair with unmerited lawsuits targeted at small and minority small business owners is alive and well. So much so that the California Assembly failed to even schedule a hearing on Senate Bill 84, a much-needed reform measure to protect against abusive shakedown Americans with Disabilities Lawsuits (ADA). Once again leaving businesses vulnerable to lawsuit abuse.

Senator Roger Nielo, [R-Fair Oaks], authored Senate Bill 84, which would have allowed small businesses, the right to cure or a short period of 120 days, to correct ADA violations before being sued. The legislation was a wonderfully simple idea that drew an impressive bipartisan coalition of legislative co-authors. It passed the State Senate 34 to 2.

The Americans with Disabilities Act reform measure was enthusiastically supported. The bill’s author personally met with and recruited Democrat members to co-author the legislation. Some Senate members even crossed the legislative aisle to co-author SB 84, notably including: Senators Angelique Ashby, Anna Caballero, Ben Allen and Tom Umberg. Assembly co-authors included Assemblymembers Jacqui Irwin, Stephanie Nguyen, Blanca Pacheco, and Rhodesia Ransom.