SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - Democrats and Republicans shouted at each other into an early shutdown of the Senate Thursday in Springfield over State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld's medical malpractice bill.

Now, Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, fears the measure will be hopelessly lost in a committee backlog.

Senate Bill 150 was postponed in a judiciary committee hearing Tuesday. The measure was never called for discussion, even though several physicians came to Springfield to testify on it.

Luechtefeld said he suspected the committee, headed by State Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, was stalling and trying to keep the bill from getting to the Senate floor.

When Senate President Emil Jones sent the bill to the Executive Committee Thursday, citing a failure of the judiciary committee to make significant progress, tempers flared along partisan lines.

Republicans tried to force a vote, and then began parliamentary tactics to interrupt business. The episode ended in a shouting match, and Jones adjourned the Senate for the day.

Luechtefeld said his bill

obviously proposed changes too strong for the Democratic leadership.

"This is simply wrong, but that is politics and that is the game they are playing," he said.

Luechtefeld said Democrats will want to pass legislation that addresses malpractice but does so in such a weak manner it won't change anything.

SB 150 is Luechtefeld's plan for comprehensive medical malpractice reform. It places caps on non-economic damages in jury awards, tightens discipline for doctors who are guilty of medical negligence and imposes more scrutiny of insurance rates by the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, said he didn't "belittle" himself by taking part in the shouting argument but said the fight showed signs medical malpractice is breaking down into a partisan issue.

"I've said if it gets down to a Republican-Democrat thing we're in trouble," Forby said.

He said it is likely medical malpractice reform will come at the hands of Republicans, not Democrats. Regardless, Forby said he is committed to finding a way and a bill that will help the doctors in his community.

"I probably could have voted for the bill (SB 150), but I'm going to vote for something that helps the doctors and my district," Forby said.

The Illinois State Medical Society has been supporting SB 150. Society president Kenneth Printen it was disturbing to see the bill go down the way it did.

"They are playing a game of parliamentary subterfuge," Printen said. "It would serve the people of Illinois a lot better if they let this come to the floor and let the people vote on it."

Printen said if medical malpractice legislation is not passed this session, health care will be adversely affected, and doctors will blame the legislators.

Legislators in the neighboring state of Missouri moved this week to pass limits on injury claims in malpractice cases. The bill is ready to be signed into law by Gov. Matt Blunt.

Supporters of legal reforms in Missouri fought for three years with the previous Democratic governor to get measures passed.

caleb.hale@;thesouthern.com

618-529-5454 x15090