HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 30, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Pennsylvania businesses ranked lawsuit abuse/tort reform as one of the top legislative issues impacting the business community, according to a Zogby International economic survey commissioned by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.
Overall, 81 percent of PA Chamber member businesses responding to the annual survey rated lawsuit abuse reform a close third in importance behind health-care costs (89 percent) and business taxes (83 percent).
However, for mid-size companies surveyed, those with sales of $16 million to $50 million, the issue was rated most important.
"It's noteworthy that despite some initial successes last session with regard to tort reform, business leaders overwhelmingly consider lawsuit abuse a major issue affecting business, more so than last year in fact," said Maura Donley, Vice President of the Pennsylvania Chamber.
In the PA Chamber's 2002 Economic Survey, tort reform came in a distant third to health-care costs as the No. 1 issue membership wanted the Chamber to address in the coming year. It ranked fifth for its impact on business behind issues such as employment law, workers' compensation and business taxes.
"The Chamber's economic survey is a good measure of the state's business climate and an indicator of the direction our economy is headed," Donley said. "Clearly, this shift should send a message to the governor and elected officials that, as a key business competitiveness issue, more needs to be done to restore balance and fairness to the Commonwealth's legal system."
Zogby International polled PA Chamber member businesses between Aug. 6 and Aug. 29. Complete results of the PA Chamber's 2003 Economic Survey are available online at www.pachamber.org.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state's largest broad-based business association and the fastest growing state chamber in the United States, with more than 10,000 members covering all 67 counties.
Renowned polling and market research firm Zogby International has been tracking public opinion in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Europe since 1984.
The PA Chamber of Business and Industry logo is available at:http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=353