On August 22, several CALA supporters joined Assembly District 50 candidate Richard Bloom for a discussion about the need for legal reform in California. The gathering took place over breakfast at Barney’s Beanery, owned by CALA co-chair David Houston in Santa Monica, just west of Los Angeles.
Bloom, who is currently Mayor of Santa Monica, shared his efforts on how he has promoted business development in the city. He also discussed his family legacy of small business ownership. His uncles owned small family grocery stores in Massachusetts and his brother, a physician, experienced a lawsuit alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). This experience, he said, has helped him understand how out-of-control ADA lawsuits are hurting small businesses in California.
Several CALA supporters at the breakfast shared their stories about how abusive ADA lawsuits have hurt their businesses as well. Bloom said he supports reforms to ADA laws to stop abusive lawsuits along with other positions, such as maintaining California’s landmark medical malpractice reform called MICRA, that will help California businesses prosper.
As the November elections approach, it’s vital that all voters find out where their candidates stand on legal reform. As a state and a nation, we need to create jobs, not lawsuits.