Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released its “2017 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the States.” This propaganda piece from one of the largest lobbying groups in the country ranked Georgia No. 40 out of the 50 states as a litigation venue. I would like to take a moment to address this ranking—which was covered in the Daily Report—and just a few of the misrepresentations that it sets forth.
While the national group’s internal survey claims that Georgia supposedly has declined as a hospitable legal environment and thus presents an inhospitable business climate, the actual numbers paint a very different picture. As your readers know, according to numerous outlets, Georgia has been the No. 1 state in which to do business for the past four years. As our state has evolved into a destination for growing and relocating corporations and international enterprise, our pro-business environment has become one of the cornerstones of Governor Nathan Deal’s legacy. We are the proud home state of 17 Fortune 500 companies (Georgia Department of Economic Development), 30 Fortune 1000 companies, and more than 900,000 incorporated businesses (Office of Georgia Secretary of State), all of which can be attributed to our hospitable business climate and diverse economic incentives. That is why Governor Deal, the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce constantly tout the fact that Georgia has become the nation’s No. 1 pro-business leader.
