LAT appoints legislative champion

AUSTIN, Texas – The Lumbermen’s Association of Texas (LAT), a nonprofit trade association that represents lumber and building material merchants and the lumber industry in Texas, has selected the representative of the State Jeff Leach (R-Plano) as the legislative champion of the award-winning LAT.

“President Leach is a staunch and passionate advocate for the building materials industry in the Texas Legislature,” said Harley “Bubba” Finnell, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LAT and owner of the Oldham Lumber Company at Dallas, Texas. “Our members shared with President Leach the challenges we face in maintaining insurance and defending our truck drivers; the lifeline of our businesses and essential to our ability to deliver construction materials to job sites across our state. He led the campaign to do something about frivolous truck accident lawsuits and we are grateful for his efforts. “

During the recent 87^e In the Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, President Leach passed House Bill 19, Trucking Accident Litigation Reform Requiring Bifurcation of Lawsuit Resulting from Vehicle Accident utility, limits certain types of discovery and requires admission of videos and photographs of the accident. He also led the passage of the Pandemic Liability Protection Act, Senate Bill 6 by Senator Kelly Hancock, at Texas House.

“President Leach’s hard work and success will translate into significant and tangible relief for independent and family lumber yards like ours,” said Jack Foxworth, President and CEO of Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Company, a company headquartered in Plano and House District 67. We are so proud that our state representative led the charge to pass two key bills for the Texas lumber and building materials industry, and all our state’s critical businesses, which have remained open to support our communities during the pandemic. “

“The Texas wood building materials industry has been key to our state’s economic recovery and it has been an honor to work with LAT on behalf of its members in the Texas Legislature,” said Representative Leach. “I look forward to working many more years together in support of business-friendly legislation that supports these Texas employers and the great work they do in communities across our state.”

President Leach received the LAT Legislative Champion Award at his 135^e Convention & Expo on September 14 in Frisco, Texas.