County Boards for Tort Reform
Today's photo-blogging takes us to the #1 & #2 Judicial Hellholes in America: Madison and St. Clair counties. People - including elected politicians - understand the dramatic toll that lawsuit abuse has taken on the region and state.
Both counties also have local leadership dominated by Democrats - the party normally swayed by the trial lawyer lobbying. However, the Democrats in Madison County (who hold a 19-10 majority) and St. Clair County (who hold a 21-8 majority) feel significantly different from their party leadership in Springfield.
Recently, the Madison County Board (the Board meets on the other side of those upper windows pictured) enacted a resolution calling upon state leaders to do something about this crisis.
From the Belleville News-Democrat: "County Board members unanimously Wednesday voted to approve a resolution requesting the state take action against medical insurance rates including placing caps on noneconomic damages."
Less than two weeks later, the St. Clair County Board enacted a similar resolution calling for the passage of House Bill 705:
From the Belleville News-Democrat: "The resolution specifically supported House Bill 705, a recently-introduced piece of legislation that would seek to reduce unwarranted lawsuits, enact sensible insurance reform, enhance medical discipline and protect physicians' assets in medical malpractice lawsuits.
The proposed legislation also would cap noneconomic damages at $250,000 in medical malpractice cases against physicians and at $500,000 in cases filed against hospitals."
""We have to show our support," said St. Clair County Board member Heinz Rudolf, D-Belleville. "We cannot afford to have one of our hospitals shut down."
Both counties also have local leadership dominated by Democrats - the party normally swayed by the trial lawyer lobbying. However, the Democrats in Madison County (who hold a 19-10 majority) and St. Clair County (who hold a 21-8 majority) feel significantly different from their party leadership in Springfield.
Recently, the Madison County Board (the Board meets on the other side of those upper windows pictured) enacted a resolution calling upon state leaders to do something about this crisis.
From the Belleville News-Democrat: "County Board members unanimously Wednesday voted to approve a resolution requesting the state take action against medical insurance rates including placing caps on noneconomic damages."
Less than two weeks later, the St. Clair County Board enacted a similar resolution calling for the passage of House Bill 705:
From the Belleville News-Democrat: "The resolution specifically supported House Bill 705, a recently-introduced piece of legislation that would seek to reduce unwarranted lawsuits, enact sensible insurance reform, enhance medical discipline and protect physicians' assets in medical malpractice lawsuits.
The proposed legislation also would cap noneconomic damages at $250,000 in medical malpractice cases against physicians and at $500,000 in cases filed against hospitals."
""We have to show our support," said St. Clair County Board member Heinz Rudolf, D-Belleville. "We cannot afford to have one of our hospitals shut down."
posted by Allen Adomite at Tuesday, March 08, 2005
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