The Daily Cardinal has reported that the Wisconsin State Assembly passed a?bill Friday which will limit mesothelioma victims? court access after they have received extensive asbestos exposure.?Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that can occur after prolonged exposure to asbestos.
In a harsh blow to victims and a high-five to ALEC, Wisconsin Assembly Bill 19 limits personal injury claims by preventing people from filing both civil and personal actions.
From The ?Daily Cardinal:
A coalition representing 100,000 veterans, including the Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Wisconsin American Legion and the Wisconsin Military Order of the Purple Heart, officially opposed the assembly bill.
Renee Simpson, state commander of the Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars, lost her father to mesothelioma and asked the Assembly to not abandon veterans and their families.
“Asbestos companies knowingly poisoned our men and women in uniform, and I fear I and many other veterans could suffer the same fate as my father,? Simpson said in a statement.
Democratic legislators argue the Republican authors based the bill on the American Legislative Exchange Council handbook. ALEC ?works to advance limited government, free markets and federalism at the state level,? according to its website.
State Representative Chris Taylor, D-Madison, issued a statement in response to the approval of the bill.
?This bill sacrifices the interests of sick patients to ALEC’s big corporate agenda,? Taylor said in the statement.
Taylor also pointed out that veterans make up 30 percent of all mesothelioma cases, even though veterans represent only 8 percent of the population.
?Once again, my Republican colleagues are siding with out-of-state corporations and ALEC, rather than terminally ill Wisconsinites who deserve these legal protections,? Taylor said.
The fact is, there’s a big pot of money for Mesothelioma victims who are entitled to settlements. Follow the money and you’re certain to find a pack of GOP politicians ready to find a way to leverage Mesothelioma settlement funds to benefit themselves.
