Gov. Mark Sanford made a Surfside Beach small business one of his stops on a trip around the state to push for lawsuit reform.

The state could be more competitive in business if certain types of lawsuits are limited.

In particular, Sanford said, the state should do away with joint and several liability, under which the wealthiest defendant in a lawsuit could be forced to pay all damages. Thirty-nine states already have approved some type of lawsuit reform, or tort reform, including Georgia.

On Monday, Sanford - with a group of business leaders including S. Hunter Howard Jr., S.C. Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer - called joint and several liability unfair. Sanford said the purpose of his trip was to urge the General Assembly to move forward on the reform.

The House has passed a reform bill. Opponents of the proposed changes say plaintiffs would get less money in lawsuits if limits are placed on payments.

Sanford urged state residents to call their senators to help move the bill forward.

"This is not about not paying your judgements," said Lewis F. Gossett, president and CEO of the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance. "It is about paying what you owe."

Sanford said he chose to visit small businesses in Columbia and Spartanburg and Ocean Breeze Awning in Surfside Beach because small businesses suffer from lawsuits under the current system.

Without the change, he said, South Carolina would be less attractive to new businesses.