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The Blast- May 30, 2025 [1]

['The Texas Tribune']

Date: 2025-06 

One last showdown to the nuclear verdict duel

ONE LAST SHOWDOWN TO THE NUCLEAR VERDICT DUEL

Senate Bill 30, the “nuclear verdicts” bill that became a proxy battle between Texans for Lawsuit Reform and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, has gone to conference.

The bill, a priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, has been watered down since it left the Senate under the stewardship of Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown. In a statement the day after the Senate rejected the House’s version, TLR called on lawmakers to undo a House floor amendment that they say undercuts the bill’s effectiveness.

“If the amendment is not removed, lawyers collaborating with doctors and chiropractors will continue to engage in a fraud on the legal system, manufacturing medical bills to support meritless lawsuits,” TLR said in a statement. “This abuse must stop.”

The amendment would apply rules on the admissibility of evidence, which proponents said would let judges determine what is relevant evidence to a trial.

Democratic Rep. Joe Moody of El Paso carried the floor amendment on Monday, although he was backed by a bipartisan team of 13 co-signers. It was an amendment to an overarching amendment by Republican freshman Rep. Mitch Little of Lewisville, who was one of the co-signers.

The vote on the amendment was initially split 65-65 but passed 72-70 after a vote verification. However, two aye-voters wrote in the House journal that they’d intended to vote no — even after the verification. One of those was Rep. Janis Holt, a Republican from Silsbee who had signed onto Moody’s amendment.

In its statement, TLR pointed out the flips.

“The amendment should have failed if their votes had been cast as they intended,” it said.

Here are the conferees, along with how much their campaigns have received from TLR, TTLA and their organizations since the 2019 session.

Senate conferees:

Schwertner (chair) — $62,500 from TLR, $7,5000 from TTLA

Brent Hagenbuch , R-Denton — $575,000 from TLR, $10,000 from TTLA

Joan Huffman , R-Houston — $80,000 from TLR

Bryan Hughes , R-Mineola — $90,000 from TLR

Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston — $107,500 from TLR

House conferees:

Greg Bonnen , R-Friendswood (chair) — $94,350 from TLR

Harold Dutton , D-Houston — $11,000 from TLR, $3,500 from TTLA

Ann Johnson , D-Houston — $50,500 from TTLA

Jeff Leach , R-Plano — $1.7 million from TLR, $37,500 from TTLA

Little — $25,000 from TLR, $10,000 from TTLA

As for the vote on the Moody amendment, Dutton, Johnson and Little voted aye while Bonnen and Leach voted nay.

But already, it sounds like they’ve reached an agreement. Schwertner posted a photo of senators’ signatures on social media within minutes of TLR putting out their statement today.

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[1] Url: https://thetexastribune.beehiiv.com/p/the-blast-may-30-2025-29a120e9c9c5bc0d

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