This week, MACo Legal and Policy Counsel Les Knapp and a panel of county and municipal officials testified in opposition to HB113, Local Government Tort Claims Act, before the House Judiciary Committee. This bill would more than double the civil liability cap under the Local Government Tort Claims Act.

MACo’s written testimony states:

MACo believes that these changes would trigger substantially greater costs for judgments, settlements, and litigation – draining scarce public resources away from education, law enforcement, roadways, and public health services.

The LGTCA has worked well, successfully balancing the ability of plaintiffs to assert claims and recover damages against local governments versus recognizing the unique role of local governments in providing public services and preserving a local government’s ability to adequately budget for risk.

 For more information on 2015 legislation, visit MACo’s Legislative Database.