March 10, 2006

Repeal of Joint and Several Liability to be heard on the Floor of the House of Representatives

HB 145, an act relating to apportionment of civil damages by Rep. Don Brown (R-Defuniak Springs) has finished the committee process and is now moving to the floor for consideration. House Bill 145 repeals the doctrine of joint and several liability and replaces it with a system which allocates damages based upon a party's percentage of fault.

As you know, Speaker Allan Bense (R-Panama City) would like to have 75 votes in support of this landmark legislation. We have attached last year's House vote count for House Bill 1513 (Civil Justice Reform) for your review. It is very likely that we will not have some of the members who supported House Bill 1513 last year on our side.

Please see the vote count on HB 1513 from the 2005 Session below

Representative Jeff Kottkamp (R-Cape Coral) and Representative Kevin Ambler (R- Tampa) are just two members who will probably not vote in favor of House Bill 145. Therefore, it is important that you make every attempt to poll/contact any members of the House you see to get a vote count on House Bill 145. At the Florida Coalition for Legal Reform Meeting which will be held on Monday, March 13, 2006 at 5:00 PM we will go over votes and discuss further strategy.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Coalition Co-Chairs, Tamela Perdue or John Thrasher.

Thank you.

HB 1513 (2005) by Rep. Don Brown
Yeas - 79 Nays - 32 Not Voting - 9

Member	Member	Member
Y Adams	Y Flores	N Meadows
Y Allen	Y Galvano	Y Mealor
Y Altman	N Gannon	Y Murzin
Y Ambler	Y Garcia	Y Needelman
Y Anderson	Y Gardiner	Y Negron
N Antone	N Gelber	Y Patterson
Y Arza	N Gibson, A.	N Peterman
Y Attkisson	Y Gibson, H.	Y Pickens
N Ausley	Y Glorioso	N Planas
Y Barreiro	- Goldstein	- Poppell
Y Baxley	Y Goodlette	N Porth
Y Bean	N Gottlieb	Y Proctor
N Bendross-Mindingall	Y Grant	- Quinones
Y Bense	N Greenstein	Y Reagan
Y Benson	Y Grimsley	Y Rice
Y Berfield	Y Harrell	N Richardson
- Bilirakis	Y Hasner	Y Rivera
Y Bogdanoff	Y Hays	Y Robaina
- Bowen	N Henriquez	N Roberson
N Brandenburg	N Holloway	Y Ross
Y Brown	Y Homan	Y Rubio
Y Brummer	Y Hukill	Y Russell
- Brutus	N Jennings	N Ryan
N Bucher	Y Johnson	Y Sands
N Bullard	Y Jordan	Y Sansom
Y Cannon	N Joyner	N Seiler
Y Carroll	N Justice	Y Simmons
Y Clarke	Y Kendrick	N Slosberg
- Coley	Y Kottkamp	N Smith
Y Cretul	Y Kravitz	N Sobel
Y Culp	Y Kreegel	- Sorensen
N Cusack	Y Kyle	Y Stansel
Y Davis, D.	Y Legg	Y Stargel
Y Davis, M.	Y Littlefield	N Taylor
- Dean	Y Llorente	Y Traviesa
Y Detert	Y Lopez-Cantera	Y Troutman
Y Domino	Y Machek	N Vana
Y Evers	N Mahon	CH Waters
Y Farkas	Y Mayfield	Y Williams
N Fields	Y McInvale	Y Zapata