Consumer advocate: Following Kansas’ lead to prevent ‘lawfare’ is ‘imperative’

By Tate Miller
The Center Square

After Kansas passed legislation to prevent “lawfare” – or the making of policies apart from the legal process – a consumer protection organization said other states following Kansas’ lead is “imperative” for the sake of consumers and the legislative process.

Executive director of Alliance for Consumers Action O.H. Skinner told The Center Square that “following Kansas’ example and passing this legislation is imperative to protect consumers from a political agenda and ensuring legislation happens outside the courtroom.”

“Trial lawyers and activists have been able to game the system and push lawsuits that feed into a political money machine and push a political agenda through the courts,” Skinner said.

“Thanks to the Kansas legislature, the state enacted first-of-its-kind legislation that takes away key pillars of woke lawfare and sets a model that other states should follow in order to protect consumers,” Skinner said.

“The legislation protects homeowners and small business owners from paying out money to criminals and wrongdoers and prevents consumers from having their choices decided by activists who push lawfare in court,” Skinner said.

The Center Square previously reported on recent Kansas legislation – Senate Bill 462 – in which “Kansas lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto” of the bill thereby “enacting a measure supporters say will limit the use of courts to advance political agendas.”

Skinner explained that legislation similar to Kansas’ SB 462 “restores the balance of power and makes it clear that consumers should decide which they want to purchase, not progressive ideologues.”

“Activists shouldn’t be able to use woke lawfare as a backdoor for policies that can’t pass at the ballot box or through the legislation process,” Skinner said.

“Only by understanding the playbook being used by woke activists can public officials begin to reestablish the proper role of courts in our democracy and ensure that major policy decisions are made through democratic processes accountable to the American people,” Skinner said.

When asked how Kansas’ SB 462 will affect the average American, O.H. Skinner replied that “there are two key provisions in the Kansas legislation that includes protection from public nuisance and criminals.”

“The public nuisance provisions protect Kansas consumers by stopping activists from being able to stretch public-nuisance law and turn it into an ideological tool,” Skinner said.

“Whether it’s cars, firearms, household appliances, or energy production, this legislation protects consumers in Kansas and across our nation by preventing the activist lawfare schemes that attempt to wipe consumer products off the shelf simply because leftwing activists disapprove of them,” Skinner said.

“Similarly, the criminal provisions align the legal system with what citizens think is logical and fair: criminals should never be allowed to profit from illegal activity through bogus lawsuits,” Skinner said.

Skinner noted Kansas’ SB 462 “ensures that this basic level of fairness is returned to the judicial system and stops trial lawyers from enriching themselves.”

“Thanks to Kansas lawmakers, consumers in their state will now be protected from these ideological agendas being pushed through the courts,” Skinner said.

The Center Square previously covered a report that exposed how the American Left pushes its agenda through lawfare in the courtroom “outside of the established legislative process.”