The election season has begun and the political posturing is under way. The battle for political power is in full swing. With new districts and an open primary, it is a whole new ballgame and business as usual is just not going to cut it.

Candidates: while I do not claim to be a campaign consultant, I have worked for a few politicians and I think I have a good issue for you to run on – legal reform.

Voters want legal reform. Our economic times demand that we have legal reform. Lawsuits affect every issue I can throw at you. Healthcare, education, police and fire protection, business, and the list goes on. The impact of litigation is huge and it costs our economy hundreds of millions of dollars.

When people are being laid off they might want to think about the impact litigation has on businesses’ (and public entities’) bottom line. It is huge. If a business has to settle a wage and hour class action for hundreds of thousands of dollars, that is money the business cannot spend to grow or hire new workers.

Candidates who claim to be friends of small business (and these days every candidate claims to be) need to remember that a single lawsuit can force a small business to close its doors faster than any tax or regulation.

Education is the key. Voters need to ask their candidates where they stand on legal reform. If there was ever a time, the time is now.