Thank You, Governor Kemp, for Putting Georgia Consumers First

Earlier this month, Governor Brian Kemp signed Senate Bills 68 and 69 into law, cementing long-overdue legal reform and delivering a major win for Georgia’s consumers and small business owners. These new laws represent a meaningful step toward reining in lawsuit abuse and modernizing our legal system. 

Most Georgians might not think about lawsuit abuse reform in their everyday lives, or even know what it is, but they feel its impact. Excessive litigation drives up the cost of goods and services, and much of that burden falls on everyday consumers. Lawsuit abuse, often fueled by opportunistic trial lawyers, exploits loopholes in the legal system to line their own pockets at the expense of taxpayers, small businesses, and families.

Georgia was recently ranked fourth in the 2024-2025 Judicial Hellholes report, highlighting a troubling pattern of frivolous lawsuits across the state. According to a study by the Institute for Legal Reform, Georgia households shoulder an average of $5,050 annually in tort-related costs. Even more concerning, the study found a 10.6% annual growth rate in tort costs between 2016 and 2022, showing the problem was only getting worse.

With the signing of Bills 68 and 69, Georgia now has a path forward. If we follow the example of states like West Virginia, which saw the costs associated with lawsuits drop by more than 20% after implementing similar reforms, consumers here can expect real relief in the form of lower prices and reduced legal risk for businesses.

Small business owners have been among the strongest voices calling for reform. Atlanta News First recently spoke with several who experienced the stress and burden of baseless lawsuits. Eric Gray, a hotel owner, received a $2,000 demand letter claiming his pool lacked an ADA lift. In fact, the lift was there, but Gray still had to settle, only to later learn the attorney had never even visited the property and had sent similar letters to numerous businesses across the state, as if casting a net to see what small business owners he could exploit. 

Cases like this illustrate the pressing need for change. Georgia’s old legal environment allowed predatory practices to flourish. Thanks to Governor Kemp’s leadership, that era is coming to an end. These reforms will protect small businesses, the backbone of our state’s economy, and protect consumers from hidden costs driven by legal exploitation. 

Governor Kemp’s commitment to meaningful tort reform sends a clear message: Georgia is open for business, not for abuse. We thank him for standing with Georgia’s job creators, consumers, and communities—and for putting people ahead of profit-seeking trial lawyers and positioning Georgia as a trail blazer for legal reform.

Peter Pfeifer, former Fayette County Commissioner