Civil justice reform legislation is alive in Mississippi’s legislative session, but it’s not exactly kicking.

A House panel &045;&045; chaired by a trial lawyer &045;&045; passed a bill on Tuesday that would tweak the system, despite fears it wouldn’t even make it out of committee.

But the bill still falls short of what Gov. Haley Barbour has been seeking, and it falls short of what many senators want as well.

The House proposal allows creation of class-action lawsuits and a panel to review medical malpractice claims, but it does not limit pain and suffering or punitive damage awards in civil lawsuits.

We’re glad the House Judiciary A Committee at least kept the issue alive, but we’re disappointed to see it falls short of Mississippi’s real needs in terms of civil justice reform.

That said, something is better than nothing, and the vote means tort reform isn’t dead this session.

The state seems destined to adopt tort reform measures in piecemeal style. More than a year ago, lawmakers passed medical malpractice reform legislation after a lengthy special session and tedious negotiations by a compromise committee.

We want to see more action taken to address civil lawsuits, and we encourage senators to pass a bill that would not only create the review panel and the class-action ability but also limit pain-and-suffering and punitive damages.

That brings the issue back to conference committee, where we hope lawmakers will see the value and importance of civil justice reform. Lack of it has cost the state too many small businesses and has jeopardized deals with larger companies. We need to continue tort reform efforts to ensure our economic future.