Louisiana Chemical Association tries to shut down the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic

[Robbien]

Since 1989, third-year Tulane law students at the clinic have represented clients in lawsuits against chemical companies, landfills, energy companies and other industries. Among other issues, the cases have dealt with wetland protections, zoning and permitting issues, and violations of environmental regulations on clean air and water. LCA chief Dan Borne and Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, say those torts are job killers, and they cast Adley's Senate Bill 549 as a reasonable way to put a stop to excessive litigation damaging to the Louisiana economy.

As it was introduced, Adley's bill would block university law clinics at any school that receives state money from suing a government agency or representing a client who is suing a private defendant for monetary damages. Adley said he plans to propose an amendment today that would limit the restrictions to environmental law clinics, effectively limiting the bill to Tulane.

"The state is shipping (money) to Tulane when state universities are threatened not just with cuts but with closure," Borne said. "Tulane in turn supports one of its units that sues state agencies, tax-paying businesses and individuals. Our action is the culmination of years of frustration with Tulane."


http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/tulane_environmental_law_clini.html


If the industries acted responsibly and watched out for citizens and the environment instead of cutting corners to obtain bigger bonuses, Tulane wouldn't have to sue them. By their irresponsible acts, The Chemical Association is the one who is damaging Louisiana's economy.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. This is soooooooo transparent. I hope hope hope that this does not pass.

[Ex Lurker]

4. I live here. Before the spill happened, it would have been a slam dunk....

Sadly, it probably still is.

ETA: the chief lobbyist for the LCA posts on a board I frequent. In a bizarre twist, he's an avid birder. He's always posting pictures of them. I'm sure the irony is quite lost on him.

[KingBob]

2. HA!

HA! It's nice to see who's in bed with whom on issues like this. One should probably be ashamed to even try to pull a stunt like this. Does this mean Adley won't get free TU football tickets anymore?

[Demeter]

3. Sounds Unconstitutional on Its Face

Hope that these GOP goons get what's coming to them.

[FBI_Un_Sub]

5. River Road

from St Barnard to north of Baton Rouge is called "The Cancer Road." There must be a valid reason.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. There are/were enough chemical plants along there to pollute 10 states.

I used to work in NO. No one I knew used the water out of their faucet for anything but dishwashing.

There were times that the building I worked in was shut down, and no one allowed outside because the chemical company nearby
was having a "blowoff". That was Hooker Chemicals, by the way...the same company involved int he Love Canal disaster.

The state govt just used the tax money and the payoffs to build up their coffers, and did not give one crap about the people along the way that were poisoned.

EDIT: It was not that the people that were only directly poisoned, it was the flora and the fauna..and ergo..the soil, and anything that grew in it, that were poisoned.

[Barney]

7. Same thing happened in Maryland

Corporate folks, including the Purdue chicken empire, sought legislation along the same lines to prevent university law clinics from suing companies.