Dear Editor:

COVID-19 has created not only a public health crisis, but also an economic crisis that will be felt across our Louisiana for a long time. Further exacerbating our state’s economic pain is the historic drop in oil prices, which may force hundreds of energy producers out of business and put thousands of workers and billions of dollars in tax revenue at immediate risk.

Now more than ever before, Louisiana needs policies that encourage job creation and business expansion — especially in the oil and gas sector. That’s why I support Senate Bill 359 sponsored by Senator Bob Hensgens and co-authored by Senate President Paige Cortez and twenty-eight other lawmakers. By reining in trial lawyers and streamlining the controversial and unproductive lawsuits brought by a few parishes across the coast, SB 359 will provide much-needed stability and predictability that could help improve Louisiana’s legal and economic climate. This is exactly the kind of pro-growth, pro-jobs policies that Louisiana needs now more than ever.

What’s more, these reforms will cost Louisiana taxpayers nothing, and they will help to restore the spirit of partnership that’s enabled industry to invest in Louisiana’s economy and our coast for decades.

This is common-sense legislation and I applaud our legislative leaders for making it a priority at this critical time. The jobs and opportunity-killing effects of Louisiana’s sue-happy legal environment have been well-known and much-discussed for years. Our lawmakers are finally standing up against powerful special interests and taking action to level the playing field.

Bryan Hanks,

BETA Land Services

Lafayette