The Civil Justice Assn. of California continues to defy logic and legal reality with its latest cry for continued opposition to SB 624, the state rock bill.
CJAC chirps anew about ulterior motives it has conjured as being behind the bill, but in fact CJAC has its own underlying reasons for working to defeat SB 624: They want to help asbestos manufacturers hide behind a rock.
Manufacturers being held accountable for thousands of illnesses and deaths have tried to diminish asbestos' dangers by citing its presence in California's state rock.
The fact is that SB 624 is not about plaintiffs' attorneys or creating new legal beachhead – it's about symbolism.
It was spawned not by lawyers, but by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, an independent nonprofit group dedicated to education and community support whose patients, families, physicians and scientists who have served as volunteers for more than six years.
During these past two years, support for Drop the Rock has gained momentum to include supporters such as: patients and their families, public health organizations, medical institutions, physicians, unions, veterans and environmentalists. ADAO can be reached at (202) 391-1546 for comment.
CJAC's continued efforts to defeat the measure, even as the bill's author and sponsor work to address the concerns of the geology community, stand as an affront to the thousands of victims who die each year because of illnesses caused by asbestos.
Geologists and others who have opposed this bill need to be aware that CJAC is the tort war mouthpiece for oil companies, insurance firms and pharmaceutical manufacturers. In legislation as in life, one needs to be careful who one associates with.
Contacts:
CAOC Communications Director
Eric Bailey, 916-201-4849